"Our analysis suggests that up to 30% of UK jobs could potentially be at high risk of automation by the early 2030s, lower than the US (38%) or Germany (35%), but higher than Japan (21%)," the report dubbed UK Economic Outlook March 2017 said.
The report showed that the most vulnerable sectors were transportation and storage, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail, which expect to see 56, 46, and 44 percent of all jobs automated, respectively.
"We also estimate that private sector employees and particularly those in SMEs [small and medium enterprises] are most at risk, which is linked to variations in job and employee characteristics (e.g. education and training levels required)," the report added.
At the same time, the authors of the report argued that while automation may cut jobs in the aforementioned economic sectors, it would create jobs in digital technology, as well as "generate additional wealth and spending" through productivity gains. Additional funds might be spent for supporting additional jobs, primarily in services sectors where automation is more difficult.
