Over 50% Of ASEAN Workers Could Lose Jobs Due To Technology – ADB
As many as 56% of workers in the ASEAN region could lose their jobs within a decade or two due to technology disruption, according to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB study warned that major disruptions will occur in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Jobs most at risk are those with tasks that can be increasingly automated like, for example, those of sewing machine operators, sales staff, food service personnel and office clerks, said the study.
Technology will also put BPO workers in the country at risk as their roles will become challenged by increasingly sophisticated voice, text and image recognition, ADB said. The report noted that while industrial robots have been performing routine and manual tasks for a long time, they are now becoming increasingly capable of doing non-routine and cognitive tasks. ADB advised HR professionals to fill skills gaps in specific countries and industries to fight job losses, and urged ASEAN countries to work together to create a human resource development plan and strategy for the region.
