August 2015
Study by ZEW Sees Opportunities in Automation
A study recently published by the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW) rejects gloomy projections of automation and digitalization posing a threat to the labour market. A number of pessimistic studies had previously caught significant media attention, forecasting that up to 59% of jobs were threatened. The ZEW study paints a very different picture. Based on the analysis of occupational task data, the researchers come to the conclusion that only 12% of jobs in Germany (and 9% in the US) are associated with a relatively high probability of computerization. The authors point out that focusing purely on technological potential for automation cannot be equated with actual effects on employment. The study also emphasizes that new technologies also create new jobs, e.g. through increased productivity and competitiveness.
Link to the article Opportunity or Threat? Digitalization Will Transform the Future of Work:
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