Men's jobs are easier to automate than women's jobs, a new analysis shows, and it's partly because women are more likely to work in occupations that need interpersonal, creative and decision-making skills.
A report from consultancy company AlphaBeta suggests machines will take over two hours a week of the most repetitive manual tasks by 2030.
An ABC News analysis has found the easiest to automate jobs are more likely to be performed by men — and by workers on lower incomes, too.
Let's deal with 'blokes vs robots' first
In the chart above, jobs that are easier to automate appear further to the right, and jobs with a higher proportion of male workers appear closer to the top.
Nearly all the jobs with lots of women are less susceptible to automation, including midwives, nurses and hairdressers. These are the orange circles in the chart.
There are only five job categories where more than 50 per cent of the work is susceptible to automation and where women represent the largest number of workers. These jobs, represented by the blue circles, are:
- food preparation;
- cleaning;
- clothing factory work;
- hospitality; and
- keyboard operators.
Jobs where workers spend a lot of time on physical work are more susceptible to automation, including trades such as plastering and painting. These are clustered at the top-right of the chart — the green circles — because men dominate in those roles.
In pure number terms:
- There are about 2 million Australian men working in jobs where more than half of the job is at risk of automation.
- That compares with about 750,000 women in such roles.
Labourers in construction and mining spend the largest proportion of time, 86 per cent, on tasks that are automatable, according to AlphaBeta's analysis. And 98 per cent of the workers in those jobs are men.
Automation is already underway in Rio Tinto's mines in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, where large drills are operated remotely to drill the iron ore, which is then carted away in driverless trucks controlled more than a thousand kilometres away in Perth.
Why are women's jobs harder to automate?
Women are strongly represented in roles that involve social empathy, interpersonal skills and creativity, explains Hugh Durrant-Whyte from the Centre for Translational Data Science at the University of Sydney.
These roles, which include child carers, receptionists, midwives, nurses and hairdressers, are harder to automate, he says.
Of the top 10 jobs with the most women, only keyboard operators spend more than 50 per cent of their time on tasks that could be automated.
At the other end of the scale, in the top 10 jobs dominated by men, only electricians, and electronics and communications trades workers spend less than 50 per cent of their time on automatable tasks.
But there are exceptions too:
- Cleaning and laundry work is one of the most automatable jobs of all, and women hold 60 per cent of those jobs.
- More than 90 per cent of engineering professionals are men and only a tenth of their job is regarded as automatable.
Low-paid jobs are the easiest to automate
AlphaBeta's data also suggests that low-paid jobs are more at risk of automation.
The chart below shows that nearly all of the jobs with high incomes, around the $1,800 a week mark or more, have a low proportion of time spent on automatable tasks. Those are the pink circles in the chart.
Assembly line workers and cleaners are among the lowest-paid jobs and around three quarters of their jobs are susceptible to automation (orange circles).
On the other hand, less than 20 per cent of managers, chief executives and doctors' jobs are automatable, but they are among the highest-paid jobs in Australia (pink circles).
But there are exceptions — some hard-to-automate jobs such as child care and driving are badly paid (green circles).
Professor Durrant-Whyte says the risk is that hard-to-automate jobs in future will be poorly paid.
"What will happen is there will be more and more people in the service industries, self-employed, in the gig economy, Airtasker. So the unemployment rate won't change but that difference between professionals and workers will grow, it will be upstairs/downstairs all over again."
He says the job market is "hollowing out in the middle" with automation forcing people to move above or below their skill level.
"The jobs in the middle, which are traditionally middle-class, middle-management jobs, they are the ones that are going to go."
But that's changing, and middle-class jobs also face automation
The data shows that around a third of the tasks done by accountants, insurance clerks, actuaries and librarians is subject to automation.
Professor Durrant-Whyte says the challenge is to manage people with university degrees who are now doing jobs they are over-qualified for because their traditional jobs are disappearing.
"The technology is a looming social problem. Our social norms are not really aligned to the prospect, despite the fact we've been discussing for 50 years that we'll have more people than we have jobs."
Ailira, an artificial intelligence machine that can scan millions of pages of tax law and documents in seconds, was developed by Adelaide-based tax lawyer Adrian Carland.
The ABC put Ailira, which stands for "Artificially Intelligent Legal Information Resource Assistant", to the test against 22-year-old paralegal Christine Maibom.
Ailira answered the legal research question in just 30 seconds, at which point Ms Maibom was still rifling through the tax legislation, a job she estimated would have taken her an hour.
The AlphaBeta analysis shows that legal clerks, who fall under the category "Miscellaneous clerical and administrative workers", spend 30 per cent of their time on automatable tasks.
"What's different about the jobs lost to automation today is they are affecting more white collar workers in the service industries and creeping into the middle- and high-income bracket," economist and director of AlphaBeta Andrew Charlton said.
"That's the difference in the way that automation is affecting jobs today."
| Job name | Time on more automatable tasks (%) | Number employed | Average weekly ordinary earnings ($) | Women (%) |
| Construction and Mining Labourers | 86 | 183570 | 1407.7 | 2.2 |
| Glaziers, Plasterers and Tilers | 85 | 84030 | 1278.9 | 1.7 |
| Floor Finishers and Painting Trades Workers | 84 | 58510 | NA | 3.6 |
| Food Preparation Assistants | 84 | 190200 | 1084.5 | 53.0 |
| Cleaners and Laundry Workers | 77 | 275340 | 944.6 | 60.9 |
| Fabrication Engineering Trades Workers (eg. Sheet metal workers) | 76 | 79660 | 1238 | 1.0 |
| Horticultural Trades Workers (eg. Florists) | 75 | 95420 | 1097.9 | 16.9 |
| Packers and Product Assemblers | 70 | 90840 | 924.8 | 48.8 |
| Automotive Electricians and Mechanics | 69 | 114880 | 1315 | 1.2 |
| Mobile Plant Operators (eg. Forklift drivers) | 68 | 135470 | 1268.1 | 3.5 |
| Stationary Plant Operators (eg. Crane operators) | 68 | 104960 | 1896.6 | 5.4 |
| Panelbeaters, and Vehicle Body Builders, Trimmers and Painters | 67 | 39400 | 1178.2 | 2.1 |
| Printing Trades Workers | 66 | 18020 | 1170.6 | 18.6 |
| Wood Trades Workers (eg. cabinetmakers) | 66 | 37590 | 1035.5 | 4.8 |
| Textile, Clothing and Footwear Trades Workers (eg. upholsterers) | 64 | 12730 | 996.8 | 51.5 |
| Storepersons | 63 | 120050 | 1014.3 | 18.2 |
| Machine Operators (eg. Sewing machinists) | 62 | 58190 | 1110.5 | 28.0 |
| Food Process Workers | 62 | 68660 | 1122.6 | 28.1 |
| Plumbers | 60 | 86430 | 1518.6 | 0.9 |
| Hospitality Workers | 58 | 298050 | 1035.8 | 69.2 |
| Miscellaneous Technicians and Trades Workers (eg. Signwriters) | 56 | 61450 | 1792.1 | 31.4 |
| Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers | 56 | 121620 | 909.7 | 24.9 |
| Bricklayers, and Carpenters and Joiners | 55 | 146990 | 1416.8 | 0.8 |
| Mechanical Engineering Trades Workers | 55 | 128930 | 1741.3 | 1.5 |
| Keyboard Operators | 52 | 59050 | 1125.6 | 85.0 |
| Arts Professionals (eg. Photographers) | 51 | 42190 | 1671.2 | 44.5 |
| Miscellaneous Factory Process Workers | 49 | 50230 | 1016.4 | 23.5 |
| Logistics Clerks | 49 | 124730 | 1293.1 | 40.8 |
| Truck Drivers | 48 | 193030 | 1261 | 3.3 |
| Miscellaneous Labourers (eg. Caretakers) | 46 | 151880 | 1116.7 | 17.7 |
| Child Carers | 46 | 149850 | 903.5 | 95.9 |
| Information and Communications Technology and Telecommunications Technicians | 45 | 63270 | 1478.2 | 19.9 |
| Freight Handlers and Shelf Fillers | 44 | 89530 | 1023.5 | 32.9 |
| Clerical and Office Support Workers (eg. Switchboard operators) | 44 | 84740 | 1094.4 | 47.3 |
| Prison and Security Officers | 44 | 78300 | 1252.4 | 18.0 |
| Natural and Physical Science Professionals (eg. Geologists) | 44 | 115520 | 1916.8 | 44.6 |
| Automobile, Bus and Rail Drivers | 41 | 114030 | 1527.7 | 9.3 |
| Electricians | 41 | 155650 | 1656.3 | 1.3 |
| Food Trades Workers (eg. Chefs, cooks) | 40 | 186740 | 1108.6 | 32.2 |
| Database and Systems Administrators, and Information and Communications Technology Security Specialists | 39 | 34310 | 2023.1 | 21.5 |
| Personal Assistants and Secretaries | 39 | 102540 | 1344 | 97.8 |
| Electronics and Telecommunications Trades Workers | 36 | 78850 | 1428.4 | 3.1 |
| Sales Assistants and Salespersons | 35 | 730570 | 1001 | 65.1 |
| Receptionists | 35 | 158980 | 961.2 | 95.5 |
| Financial and Insurance Clerks | 34 | 113990 | 1267.5 | 68.4 |
| Education Aides | 34 | 91780 | 1197.8 | 91.7 |
| Call or Contact Centre Information Clerks | 32 | 115280 | 1137.4 | 69.2 |
| Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers (eg. Legal clerks) | 31 | 111710 | 1311.3 | 63.4 |
| Personal Carers and Assistants | 30 | 289690 | 1132.7 | 82.7 |
| Accountants, Auditors and Company Secretaries | 29 | 207960 | 1667.7 | 48.3 |
| Delivery Drivers | 29 | 43720 | 905.6 | 10.8 |
| Agricultural, Medical and Science Technicians | 29 | 50710 | 1347.1 | 63.3 |
| Sales, Marketing and Public Relations Professionals | 28 | 130240 | 1870.2 | 49.0 |
| Accounting Clerks and Bookkeepers | 28 | 270460 | 1235.1 | 85.5 |
| Information and Organisation Professionals (eg. Economists, librarians) | 28 | 145640 | 1931.7 | 49.3 |
| Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals (eg. Pharmacists) | 25 | 97830 | 1725.8 | 59.0 |
| Information and Communication Technology Network and Support Professionals | 25 | 48440 | 2043.2 | 13.9 |
| Personal Service and Travel Workers (eg. Beauty therapists) | 25 | 106210 | 1134.9 | 74.8 |
| Retail Managers | 23 | 229780 | 1403.1 | 47.6 |
| Human Resource and Training Professionals | 22 | 93040 | 1746 | 65.5 |
| School Teachers | 22 | 401470 | 1673 | 75.1 |
| General Clerks | 21 | 240310 | 1106.7 | 86.4 |
| Defence Force Members, Fire Fighters and Police | 21 | 74070 | 1815.6 | 19.3 |
| Air and Marine Transport Professionals | 21 | 22160 | 2409.1 | 6.4 |
| Medical Practitioners | 21 | 106710 | 3397.7 | 39.5 |
| Accommodation and Hospitality Managers | 21 | 107430 | 1297.2 | 50.4 |
| Health and Welfare Support Workers (eg. Paramedics) | 20 | 116310 | 1390.5 | 71.2 |
| Media Professionals (eg. Journalists) | 20 | 64070 | 1644.3 | 47.2 |
| Farmers and Farm Managers | 20 | 143470 | NA | 28.4 |
| Miscellaneous Education Professionals (eg. Private tutors) | 19 | 68940 | 1599.5 | 71.5 |
| Animal Attendants and Trainers, and Shearers | 18 | 39230 | 942.6 | 65.3 |
| Hairdressers | 18 | 53530 | 974.1 | 86.1 |
| Health Therapy Professionals (eg. Dentists) | 18 | 90160 | 1522.5 | 67.0 |
| Sports and Fitness Workers | 18 | 92010 | 1477.5 | 49.7 |
| Tertiary Education Teachers | 18 | 75960 | 2229.1 | 48.5 |
| Business and Systems Analysts, and Programmers (eg. Web developers) | 17 | 142470 | 1950.4 | 19.7 |
| Architects, Designers, Planners and Surveyors | 17 | 139530 | 1553.9 | 41.7 |
| Midwifery and Nursing Professionals | 16 | 325200 | 1837.1 | 90.5 |
| Chief Executives, General Managers and Legislators | 15 | 107800 | 2666.2 | 23.0 |
| Financial Brokers and Dealers, and Investment Advisers | 15 | 99180 | 2245.3 | 30.6 |
| Social and Welfare Professionals (eg. Psychologists) | 14 | 141760 | 1456.3 | 68.6 |
| Office and Practice Managers | 14 | 157780 | 1479 | 86.4 |
| Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers | 14 | 146490 | 2340.4 | 37.5 |
| Business Administration Managers | 14 | 138640 | 2597.2 | 50.1 |
| Miscellaneous Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers (eg. Fitness centre managers) | 14 | 178260 | 1758.9 | 39.9 |
| Education, Health and Welfare Services Managers (eg. School principals) | 13 | 75750 | 2147 | 68.1 |
| Legal Professionals (eg. Solicitors) | 13 | 87160 | 1950 | 46.3 |
| Construction, Distribution and Production Managers | 13 | 256160 | 2300.5 | 13.0 |
| Checkout Operators and Office Cashiers | 13 | 130550 | 919 | 77.4 |
| Building and Engineering Technicians (eg. Safety inspectors) | 13 | 138850 | 1889.2 | 10.6 |
| Miscellaneous Sales Support Workers (eg. Telemarketers) | 13 | 51070 | 1211.2 | 69.6 |
| Miscellaneous Specialist Managers | 12 | 56050 | 2483 | 32.7 |
| Information and Communications Technology Managers | 12 | 63180 | 2539.7 | 21.1 |
| Engineering Professionals | 10 | 136400 | 2289.6 | 9.4 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | 9 | 87630 | 1274.4 | 48.1 |
| Insurance Agents and Sales Representatives | 7 | 89240 | 1458.8 | 35.1 |
| Contract, Program and Project Administrators | 7 | 121080 | 1651.1 | 58.3 |
Notes on the data
- The new report by strategic consulting company AlphaBeta and commissioned by Google, worked out how much time is spent on tasks that could be done by a machine for nearly 100 Australian jobs.
- They calculated the time spent on three task groups that are hard to automate: interpersonal, creative and decision-making and information synthesis; and three that are easier to automate: information analysis, unpredictable physical and predictable physical.
- Jobs are listed by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations three-digit codes.
- Proportions of men and women and the age of people working in each job came from the 2011 census data.
- Numbers employed in each job was from the ABS labour force detailed quarterly data, May 2017.
- Weekly earnings came from the ABS employee earnings and hours data, May 2016 and represents the average weekly ordinary time earnings (excluding overtime) of full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate.
