Three million UK jobs at risk due to AI and automation, finds NFER

Up to three million jobs could disappear in the UK by 2035, mainly due to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to a National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report funded by the Nuffield Foundation. 

The research found jobs in administrative, secretarial, customer service and machine operations are declining faster than expected, with between one and three million at risk.

The data was part of a five-year programme, The Skills Imperative 2035: Essential skills for tomorrow’s workforce, which set out to identify changes in the labour market, the skills needed and who will be most affected. 

Six essential employment skills were highlighted – communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organising, planning and prioritising, creative thinking and information literacy. 

The report found shortages in these skills are likely to get worse unless action is taken.

Additionally, the research found the overall number of jobs is expected to grow by 2035, but most growth will be in professional and associate professional roles, such as science, engineering and legal jobs, which use the six essential employment skills. 

Jude Hillary, the programme’s principal investigator and co-head of UK policy and practice at NFER, said: “The time has come to tackle this critical challenge head on, and we all have a role to play.

“Meeting projected skills shortages means a collective response from government, employers and across the education and skills systems.