Man versus robot is a trope that’s been around for decades, but it might soon be woman versus robot. Recent data released by McKinsey established that women are 1.5 times more likely to be displaced by automation, as women in the U.S. make up the largest percentage of workers in low-wage jobs, or those earning less than $30,800 a year.
Other big job losses are likely to occur in customer service, office administrative roles and food services, which McKinsey estimates will equate to 11.8 million workers overall by 2030—all jobs where female workers are heavily represented.
Black and Hispanic workers also make up a vast proportion of workers in the above categories and will be affected by AI in the workplace.
Change in mindset
However, McKinsey’s data suggests that the increasing importance of soft skills in the workplace, often learned on the job, will result in employers looking beyond educational credentials when considering prospective candidates.