The equivalent of 1.4 million full-time UK jobs could be automated in the next year, according to a study by Faethm AI.

This number represents 4.8 per cent of the work currently undertaken across the country.

The research found that a further 2.9 per cent of jobs could be augmented in the 12 months ahead.

The analytics platform said that different industries and geographies were likely to be disproportionately affected, with Wales, Northern Ireland, and the North of England likely to be the regions most heavily impacted.

The company predicts that wholesale and retail sectors are most likely to be affected, with the equivalent of 810,000 jobs able to be automated in these industries.

“Even ordinary downturns tend to increase automation, as companies are tempted to replace expensive labour with cheaper automated systems,” said Nan Craig, data analyst, Faethm. “However, the new conditions created by Covid-19 – and the need to reduce human interaction in public places – are making automation more attractive than in an ordinary recession.

She added: “In-person human labour is becoming more expensive, due to safety considerations around space, PPE, and the ability to take time off to self-isolate, whereas machines and automated systems, in comparison, can be added without increasing infection risks, at a comparatively lower cost.”

Craig explained that longer-term changes in consumer behaviour could also have an impact too, as interactions shift online, meaning businesses are more likely to be considering automation than without the Covid-19 crisis.

While some jobs might change or decline as automating tech begins to replace certain tasks, Faethm analysis predicts that lots of roles will emerge and increase as the UK begins to embrace automation.

The company expects an additional 382,800 full time equivalent roles could be needed in technology-related roles if the UK workforce were to deliver in full on potential automation opportunities.

Faethm’s EMEA vice president James McLeod adds: “Employers and employees alike need to change their perspective. The future of work is already here, and the introduction of technology does not affect work in a uniform way. We must acknowledge where it supplements existing work, and invest in a targeted reskilling approach that recognises the new roles technology is creating, and ensures human and machine labour complement one another.”

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