Jobs in hospitality and manufacturing are likely to be hardest hit by automation driven by the virus crisis, a new report suggests.
Work seen as able to withstand the increased use of robots risks being “abandoned” to Covid-19, warned the RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).
The Government’s response to the virus is giving false hope to many workers in sectors without a long-term future in the age of automation, according to the report.
Ministers were urged to give more support to help workers retrain amid fears of a looming huge increase in unemployment.
Hospitality, sports and recreation, and parts of manufacturing are the sectors most likely to face widespread job losses as Covid-19 accelerates automation, said the RSA.
Its research suggested that the pandemic was accelerating trends to automation, as changing consumer trends, public health measures, and the cost of labour all boosted “the rise of the robots.”
Five years of digital transformation have happened in the last months in sectors including retail, which has seen a big increase in online sales, said the report.
Fabian Wallace-Stephens of the RSA, said: “Covid-19 is accelerating the rise of the robots, with some sectors seeing five years of digital transformation in five months alone, but the Government’s response to the pandemic risks us losing many ‘automation-proof’ jobs.
“The arts and entertainment, travel and tourism, and the creative industries, are likely to be important areas for jobs growth in the future, but need more support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Likewise, many workers who need to be retrained may be lulled into a false sense of security by the current pandemic.
“We saw increased demand for supermarket workers during the first lockdown, but technology such as checkout-free stores could prove to be a gamechanger in the second wave.
“We need targeted support for at-risk sectors with a long-term future, better support for workers including ‘job security councils’, and more retraining.”
