ONE and a half million people risk losing their jobs to robots, a report reveals.
And 70 per cent of the roles under most threat in England are held by women.
Part-timers and the young are next in the firing line, says the Office for National Statistics. The three occupations most likely to be automated are waiters, shelf stackers and low-skilled sales staff.
Those at the lowest risk of being ousted by tech are medics and lecturers.
Researchers analysed the jobs of 20million people for 2017 and found 7.4 per cent were at high risk of being replaced.
The ONS said: “It’s not so much that robots are taking over but that routine, repetitive tasks can be carried out more quickly and efficiently.”
But fewer jobs are at risk of automation now than the eight per cent predicted in 2011.
That may be because some automation, such as at supermarket checkouts, has already happened. Maja Korica, of Warwick Business School, said: “Amazon introduced more than 50,000 new robots in 2017.
“Estimates suggest 20 per cent of its workforce may already be robots.”
Unions said tech needs to create benefits such as reduced working hours. Sharon Graham, of Unite, said: “Automation needs to deliver for ordinary people, not just make bigger profits for companies.”
