The rise of the machine economy risks social disruption by widening the gap between rich and poor in Britain, as automation threatens jobs generating £290bn in wages. Jobs accounting for a third of annual pay in the UK risk being automated, according to the study by the IPPR thinktank. Low-skilled workers could also lose their jobs or face fewer hours from greater levels of automation. As many as 48% of jobs in the north-east have high technical potential for automation versus 39% in the capital. An accelerated trajectory of automation could raise productivity growth by between 0.8% and 1.4% annually, according to the report, boosting GDP by 10% by 2030.

Source: The Guardian December 28, 2017 00:01 UTC