Forrester predicts Automation will displace 25m jobs and add 15m by 2027

Forrester released an update to its Future Of Jobs research, which predicts how robots, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the workforce over the next 10 years. While automation and related technologies will inevitably displace some of the workforce, Forrester argues that the technology will transform the workforce by adding new jobs or changing existing jobs, rather than completely displacing workers.

The researchers note:

There's a lot of talk these days about the bleak future of employment: Claims that robots will steal all the jobs are commonplace. But the future of jobs isn't nearly as gloomy as many prognosticators believe. In reality, automation will spur the growth of many new jobs, including some entirely new job categories. But the largest effect will be job transformation: Humans will find themselves working side by side with robots. Infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders must make sure these technologies not only cut costs but also drive customer value.

The findings indicate that:

• Automation will displace 24.7 million jobs by 2027. This equates to a job loss of 17% between 2017 and 2027.
• New technology will also create 14.9 million new jobs in the next decade, with automation creating jobs equivalent to 10% of the workforce through 2027.
• While automation will lead to a net loss of 9.8 million US jobs by 2027, that’s nowhere near the 69 million that many pundits have predicted.

The Forrester researchers conclude:

“Automation Won't Destroy All The Jobs, But It Will Transform The Workforce — Including Yours”

Ezitracker team commented:

“A combination of robotic and internet technology is transforming the efficiency and effectiveness of contract cleaning. Robots are now available to perform a number of cleaning functions, to supplement human employees, not replace them. We know that not all cleaning tasks can be replaced with connected solutions. A robot is just like a computer, it needs human instructions. It needs setting-up correctly to optimise the cleaning task. It won’t move furniture and clean under things, but it will increase cost-savings, consistency and the need to repeatedly train hundreds of cleaning operatives in a sector that has a notoriously high staff turnover rate.”

Ezitracker’s remote workforce technology is not only able to provide clients with much more detailed analysis on the reliability of employees, but also their productivity, and it makes it easy for clients to identify those employees that are important to retain and where to deploy them whilst the robots clean. Robots introduce a new level of efficiency that human cleaners are simply incapable of; a person can only vacuum or mop so many square feet per hour. Robots enable cleaning to take place at any time, day or night, they can also remain operational without intervention for longer periods.

Cleaning Contractors already using Ezitracker workforce technology are able to highlight the staff that regularly turn up for work on time and are there until the end of their shift. We found that integrating robotic vacuum cleaners reduced the stress and strain on these cleaning staff. By increasing the amount of available time that they have to complete other cleaning duties, and training the staff to use the technology, it increased the value of each member of the cleaning teams.

Implementing robots into an existing cleaning programme both reduces the health and safety risks associated with cleaning and improves the time management of other cleaning duties. Once a robotic workflow is planned and implemented, a site-specific schedule is created, and staff are trained to become ‘Robot Assisted Cleaners’ who are proficient in the distribution and management of the robots. This process then becomes the cleaner’s task. Then smartphone and mobile technology and in-app communication tools deliver added value by allowing them to log these completed tasks. Contract compliance checks can then happen in real-time, remotely. For managers and their clients, this knowledge is power.

Ezitracker technology enables employers of large and small workforces such as cleaners and maintenance workers to reduce absenteeism, lower costs via automation, and increase productivity and efficiencies.

About Forrester

Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We work with business and technology leaders to develop customer-obsessed strategies that drive growth. Forrester’s unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 500,000 consumers and business leaders worldwide, rigorous and objective methodologies, and the shared wisdom of our most innovative clients. Through proprietary research, data, custom consulting, exclusive executive peer groups, and events, the Forrester experience is about a singular and powerful purpose: to challenge the thinking of our clients to help them lead change in their organisations.

Access the report here.