New Study Warns That Automation Threatens The Future Of Black Workers In America – Forbes

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A recent report from the consulting giant McKinsey & Company paints a startling yet critically-important picture of how automation will impact the American workforce in 2030.

In this context, the term automation refers to equipment, technology and process innovations that make the effort from humans less necessary or entirely irrelevant.

When the firm conducted a deeper dive into how specific groups will be affected, one data point became clear: African Americans likely will have one of the highest rates of job displacement, compared to other groups.

Why is this happening and what interventions and solutions can we consider to make things better? Well investigate all those things below.

However, Ill preface by saying as a black man in the technology industry, its become clear to me that with all the excitement of innovation and bleeding-edge technology available to all consumers, we need to balance that with a healthy view of all the long-term risks and liabilities that may be at stake.

The recently published McKinsey article, titled The Future of Work in Black America, used proprietary data to study how automation could influence and disrupt Americans across 13 different archetypes, or groups of people with various similarities, across geographic, income and demographic segments.

For large portions of the black community, the findings may be concerning.

Key Summary Points From The Report

Reasons Behind This Worrisome Trend

Potential Solutions To Help Us Course-Correct

Fortunately, the report wasnt all doom-and-gloom. The researchers compiled a list of potential actions that could help curb the racial disparity of disruption felt from automation. While not exhaustive, the list provides a starting point of action for state and federal government, hiring employers and black employees who seek more stability.

Moving Forward

McKinseys detailed look at the projected disparity in economic wealth and job stability provides us with a runway of time to begin addressing the underlying challenges and enact solutions to fix them. Like with any looming crisis, clear and collective action is needed to give everyone an equal shot at success in America.

Regardless of what role you play in society, you have an opportunity to help us get one step closer to a level playing field. Employers, hiring managers, investors, teachers, admissions officers, and local, state or federal workers can all contribute to a brighter tomorrow. What small step will you take to solve this problem?

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New Study Warns That Automation Threatens The Future Of Black Workers In America - Forbes