Nobody can predict the future of work, but that doesn't mean we can't try.
In Tennessee, 1.4 million jobs have a 70 percent probability or higher of being replaced by automation, according to key findings from a 2016 state report on "workforce disruption." Rural counties and lower-wage occupations are the most susceptible to automation with nearly 92 percent of food preparation and serving jobs considered the most vulnerable in the state.
Business reporter Allison Shirk poses in the studio on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn.There are a number of highly automatable jobs that also fall into the top 10 most declining occupations, including administrative assistants, customer service representatives, accountants and electrical/mechanical technicians.
The digital economy grew at an average pace of 5.7 percent year over year - nearly four times faster than the overall economy, according to senior economist Satyam Panday at S7P Global Ratings. Digitalization across industries will have wide-ranging effects, including job destruction and the displacement of workers. But employees working in the digital economy also earned an average of $115,000 in 2016 - almost double the $66,000 average salary for other employees.
Starting today, the Times Free Press is launching a new monthly series called the "Future of Work" to look at how technology and market changes will alter the way we work for a living. Among the questions we will explore:
» How will self-driving vehicles change and evolve Chattanooga's trucking industry?
» Which professions will provide the most job security as technology advances at an alarming rate?
» What effects will increased screen time have on children when it comes to brain development and relationships?
» Will robots help us or hurt us?
» What does a 'smart' city really look like?
With EPB, the Innovation District and an abundance of tech start-ups in Chattanooga, our city includes people well-suited to answer some of these questions. We want your thoughts, though. What are you most concerned about when it comes to the future of work in our region?
Send me an email at ashirk@timesfreepress.com or give me a call at 423-757-6651.