30 Automation Statistics for The New Decade

Updated: March 28,2022

Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Robots. AI. Technology replacing humans in the workplace. When they’re not scaring us with doomsday predictions about climate catastrophes, mutated viruses or nuclear holocausts, newspapers love to pull out the good old robots and electric cars are taking over our jobs routine. What do automation statistics say, though? How bad are things, really? Fret not, fellow human. Robots are our friends. Everything will be just 01100110 01101001 01101110 01100101.

To kick things off, here are some of the most important statistics on automation that we could find. Jobs of the future, automation and unemployment, AI jobs - it’s all here.

The impact of automation on employment

This section of our job automation statistics is focused on the direct impact that automation will have on the employment sector now and in the future. While there have definitely been jobs lost to automation since 1980, things aren’t nearly as bad as they seem.

1. One in four jobs in the United States will face a high risk of automation job displacement by 2030.

(Brookings)

2. 70% of routine physical and cognitive tasks are jobs at risk of automation in the United States.

(Brookings)

3. 24% of US jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, and 55% of those with lower requirements, have some kind of job automation potential.

(Brookings)

4. The youngest workers (aged 16 to 24) face the highest average risk of automation exposure (49%) in the United States.

(Brookings)

5. 24% of jobs done by men and 17% of those done by women are at a high risk of becoming automated.

(Brookings)

6. 1.5 million or 7.4% of jobs in England are currently at risk of becoming obsolete due to  automation.

(Office for National Statistics)

7. By 2030, 44% of low education workers will be at risk of technological unemployment.

(PwC)

8. Transportation, storage and manufacturing sectors will face the highest number of jobs lost to automation.

(PwC)

9. The education and social work sectors will have the least amount of jobs eliminated by automation.

(PwC)

Automation concerns

Many people today are talking about how technology is destroying jobs. Automation and job loss are hot topics with people who aren’t tech enthusiasts. Even among those who are, concerns have been voiced about job automation. Our next set of automation statistics is all about these concerns.

10. 37% of people are worried about automation replacing their jobs.

(PwC)

11. More than 70% of people would consider brain and body augmentations if it led to better job prospects in the future.

(PwC)

12. 56% of people believe that governments should do whatever it takes to protect jobs from automation.

(PwC)

Automation in manufacturing

Robot jobs are a thing. Automation statistics from 2018 and beyond show that we are definitely moving towards a world with more automated companies than we could ever conceive just a few decades ago. Here are some manufacturing automation statistics for your reading pleasure.

13. By 2022 42% of total task hours will be completed by machines.

(World Economic Forum)

14. The global sales value of service robots in 2019 was $12.9 billion.

(International Federation of Robotics)

15. Over 2 million new industrial robots will enter service between 2018 and 2021.

(International Federation of Robotics)

16. The number of industrial robots worldwide is growing by around 14% annually.

(International Federation of Robotics)

17. The global medical robot market will grow to $6.5 billion by 2024.

(Market Research Engine)

18. By 2030, 20 million or 8.5% of the global manufacturing workforce will face job loss due to automation.

(Oxford Economics)

Benefits of automation

So, we’ve seen a lot of stats about jobs replaced by automation or those that will be displaced or changed by robots and AI entering the workforce. But what about automation statistics on jobs created by automation? Well, we’ve got some of those, too. Let’s dig in.

19. Nearly 70% of workers believe automation will bring opportunities to qualify for higher skilled work.

(International Federation of Robotics)

20. 57% of employers want to use automation in order to improve human performance and productivity.

(Willis Towers Watson)

21. 24% of employers would employ the automation of jobs in order to reduce operating costs.

(Willis Towers Watson)

22. One third (33%) of new jobs in the United States are created for occupations that didn’t exist 25 years ago.

(McKinsey & Company)

Automation through AI and AI industry statistics

The last section of our automation stats is all about artificial intelligence, adoption, and the impact of AI tech. Is AI taking jobs faster than it’s creating them? Are automation statistics from 2019 going to be relevant in five or ten years? Let’s find out.

23. The global AI market is set to reach $190.6 billion by 2025.

(MarketsandMarkets)

24. AI implementation will boost the global economy by up to $15 trillion by 2030.

(PwC)

25. According to AI statistics, by 2022 the industry will create 133 million new jobs and take over 75 million existing ones.

(World Economic Forum)

26. By 2035, AI has the potential to boost labor productivity by 40%.

(Accenture)

27. The chatbot market size will be over $1.34 billion by 2024.

(Global Market Insights)

28. 84% of company representatives feel that AI can bring competitive advantages in their industry.

(Statista)

29. AI-powered autonomous vehicles could save 300,000 American lives per decade.

(Digital Information World)

30. 73% of workers believe that technology cannot fully replace the human mind.

(PwC)

FAQ

What is meant by automation?

Automation is any process in which tasks are completed with minimal human assistance and input. This refers to automated machines, AI-driven hardware, service industry robots and so forth.

What are the benefits of automation?

Benefits of automation include: increased output and consistency of output with reduced operating costs. In some cases, improvement of work quality and safer working conditions in the workplace.

What jobs will disappear by 2030?

Travel agents, taxi drivers, and cashiers, for starters. When talking about jobs lost to automation, statistics also “favor” the disappearance of librarians, lumberjacks, fishermen, telemarketers, pilots, sports referees, bank tellers, textile workers and postal couriers.

What jobs will be safe from robots?

Teachers, doctors and social workers. According to various automation statistics, jobs least likely to be automated include those in the education, healthcare and social work sectors.

Leave your comment

Your email address will not be published.


Ivan
ABOUT AUTHOR
Ivan

A true tech and gaming savant, Ivan has been fascinated by the digital world since the early days of gaming on antiques such as the ZX Spectrum and Commodore’s beloved Amiga. Whether you’re interested in the latest PC and console gaming news, antivirus software, or smartphone reviews, or simply want to learn about the newest geeky gadgets around, we at KT have you covered, and Ivan’s likely the one we’ll ask.

Selected 1 items
Clear All