Robots will be your colleagues not your replacement-Manpower
* 87 pct of firms to add to or keep staff due to
automation-survey
* Global talent shortage underscores need for new skills
* 84 pct of firms want to help workforce learn new skills
BERLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Fears that robots will eliminate
your job are unfounded with a growing number of employers
planning to increase or maintain headcount as a result of
automation, staffing company ManpowerGroup said in a
survey published on Friday.
The "Humans Wanted: Robots Need You" report surveyed 19,000
employers in 44 countries and found 69 percent of firms were
planning to maintain the size of their workforce while 18
percent wanted to hire more people as a result of automation.
That was the highest result in three years.
The report went on to say that 24 percent of the firms that
will invest in automation and digital technologies over the next
two years plan to add jobs compared to 18 percent of those who
are not automating.
Just 9 percent of employers in the annual survey said
automation would directly lead to job losses, while 4 percent
did not know what the impact would be.
"More and more robots are being added to the workforce, but
humans are too," said Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO of
ManpowerGroup.
"Tech is here to stay and it's our responsibility as leaders
to become Chief Learning Officers and work out how we integrate
humans with machines."
More than 3 million industrial robots will be in use in
factories around the world by 2020, according to the
International Federation of Robotics.
The Manpower survey found that 84 percent of firms planned
to help their workers learn new skills by 2020, compared to just
21 percent in 2011.
The global talent shortage is at a 12-year-high, with many
companies struggling to fill jobs, according to Manpower.
In Germany, where unemployment is at a record low, a
shortage of talent was the top concern of small-to-mid-sized
companies heading into 2019, according to a survey by the BVMW
Mittelstand association.
The Manpower survey found IT skills are particularly in
demand with 16 percent of companies expecting to hire staff in
IT.
In manufacturing and production, where industrial robots are
increasingly doing routine tasks, firms expect to hire more
people in customer-facing roles that require skills such as
communication, leadership, negotiation and adaptability.
Employers in Singapore, Costa Rica, Guatemala and South
Africa expected to add the most staff, while firms in Bulgaria,
Hungary, Czech Republic, Norway, Slovakia and Romania predicted
a decrease in headcount, the survey found.
(Writing by Caroline Copley; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
2019-01-18 18:21:49
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