Nearly 40 percent of the global workforce believe their job will be obsolete within 5 years due to accelerated automation in view of the pandemic, according to a survey by PwC. The survey, conducted between January 26 and February 8, involved 32,500 respondents from 19 countries, including India and China.
It also pointed out that the global workforce sees the shift to remote working as just the tip of the iceberg. Reflecting the fact the pandemic has accelerated a number of workforce trends, the survey found 60percent are worried that automation is putting many jobs at risk; 48percent believe traditional employment won't be around in the future and 39percent think it is likely that their job will be obsolete within 5 years.
"However, this is not a counsel of despair, as 40 percent of workers say their digital skills have been improved through the prolonged period of lockdown, and claim they'll continue to embrace training and skill development," it said. As many as 77 percent are ready to learn new skills or completely re-train and 74 percent see training as a matter of personal responsibility. "And, 80 percent are confident they can adapt to new technologies entering their workplace, with a large majority of those asked in India (69percent) and in South Africa (66percent) saying they are 'very' confident," said the survey.
The study also found that 49 percent of respondents were focused on building entrepreneurial skills with an interest in setting up their own business. PwC said respondents included workers, business owners, contract workers, students, unemployed people looking for work, and those on furlough or who were temporarily laid off. The survey involved 19 countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the UAE, the UK and the US. The survey also found that 50percent of workers "say they've faced discrimination at work which led to them missing out on career advancement or training".
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