Ranked: The British cities most and least at risk of job losses due to automation and globalisation | City A.M.
Over 900,000 London jobs will be put at risk due to the potential impact of automation and globalisation, but the capital is well-placed to draw in the new jobs technology will bring, according to a new Centre for Cities report.
The think tank has London among the 10 cities least at risk of job losses resulting from automation and globalisation by 2030, with around 16 per cent of existing jobs considered likely to be displaced.
The Centre’s annual check on the performance of UK cities’ economies published today has focused on the impact of automation on driving job growth and job losses in cities over the coming decades. It forecasts one in five existing jobs in British cities as likely to be displaced by 2030, amounting to 3.6m jobs in total.
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Among those most at threat are retail occupations, customer service roles and warehouse jobs. On the flip side, high-skilled occupations pegged as likely to grow include media professionals, engineering roles and hospitality and leisure managers. The think tank said low-skilled roles set to be on the rise include catering jobs, and electrical and electronic trades.
Oxford, Cambridge, Reading and Worthing are ahead of the capital as the cities least at risk of job losses, while Mansfield, Sunderland, Wakefield and Stoke have been flagged as cities with the highest share of jobs at risk.
Mansfield’s share of jobs likely to be lost by 2030 was 29 per cent, compared to the British average of 21 per cent.
10 cities most at risk of job losses
10 cities least at risk of job losses
1. Mansfield
1. Oxford
2. Sunderland
2. Cambridge
3. Wakefield
3. Reading
4. Stoke
4. Worthing
5. Doncaster
5. London
6. Blackburn
6. Edinburgh
7. Northampton
7. Brighton
8. Dundee
8. Blackpool
9. Huddersfield
9. York
10. Telford
10. Portsmouth
Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said:
Automation and globalisation will bring big challenges, and it’s clear that a significant number of jobs in London could be displaced as a result. However, these changes will also offer huge opportunities to increase prosperity and to create new jobs, and the capital is well placed to benefit.
For that to happen, national and local leaders also need to take action now to prepare Londoners for the changes ahead. That means reforming the education system to give young people the cognitive and interpersonal skills they need to thrive in the future, and improving school standards.
We also need greater investment in lifelong learning and technical education to help adults adapt to the changing labour market, and better retraining for people who lose their jobs because of these changes.
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