Proportion of high-risk jobs fell 9.3% between 2001 and 2015, but low risk jobs grew 28.9% and medium risk jobs grew 15.7% with total net job creation of 306,000. Financial managers, property managers and environmental services managers lead growth in low risk jobs.
The automation of work is benefitting East Anglia according to research by Deloitte, the business advisory firm.
Deloitte analysed ONS labour force data for the period between 2001 and 2015 and matched changes in employment against occupations predicted to be at high, medium and low risk of being automated over the next twenty years*.
Deloitte’s research found that East Anglia currently has 1.0 million jobs in the high risk category, a fall of 9.3% since 2001. However, 1.9 million jobs are in the low and medium risk categories. 1.3million of these are low risk jobs, an increase of 28.9%, and 600,000 are medium risk jobs. Total net job creation in East Anglia between 2001 and 2015 stands at 306,000.
The low-risk, high-skilled occupations that grew the most over these 15 years in East Anglia were waste disposal and environmental managers (up 531%), business and financial managers (up 505%) and property, housing and estate managers (353%). The high-risk, routine occupations that declined were typists and keyboard occupations (down 76%) and tool makers (down 73%).
Nationally, Deloitte calculated that each new job in one of the fastest-growing lower-risk, occupations pays, on average, up to £10,000 more than the high-risk, routine job it replaces. Calculated on a regional basis, Deloitte estimates that the net economic contribution for East Anglia from these jobs was £11.2bn over 15 years.
Paul Schofield, Deloitte’s senior partner for East Anglia, said: “Our work shows the automation of jobs – and a shift from brawn to brains - is well underway in East Anglia, and we are benefitting not losing out.
“In line with the advances in technology and automation we expect to see in the next twenty years, high-risk, routine occupations are being replaced in our local economy. But at the same time, we are seeing good growth in those jobs at less risk of automation, as well as increased economic value.
“East Anglia has a lot going for it.”
“But we cannot be complacent. Business, educators and government must work together to ensure young people enter East Anglia’s workforce with the skills suited to the jobs of tomorrow and those already in work are able to reskill during the careers and continue contributing to the local economy.”