Automation may render millions of jobs obsolete but some countries may be in a better position to face the robots than others.
That’s based on research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a symposium of largely wealthier nations, using 2012 data from 32 of its members to gauge the risk of job automation on different countries.
“The variance in automatability across countries is large,” the researchers Ljubica Nedelkoska and Glenda Quintini wrote. “More generally, jobs in Anglo-Saxon, Nordic countries and the Netherlands are less automatable than jobs in Eastern European countries, South European countries, Germany, Chile and Japan.”
At one end of the spectrum, the researchers found that 33% of all jobs in Slovakia are considered highly automatable or having a 70% or more chance of being automated. That’s followed by 25% of the jobs in Slovenia, and 23% of the jobs in Greece.
Norway, on the the other hand, is the best positioned. About 6% of jobs in the Scandinavian nation are rated as highly automatable, followed by 7% in Finland, and 8% in Sweden. That’s compared to 14% of jobs across the 32 nations researched.
So, where does the United States stand?
About 10% of jobs in the US are at high risk, the researchers found. When adding in jobs that are also at risk of changing significantly due to automation, the US will be considered among the least affected in OECD countries. Though, with nearly 40% of jobs in the country either with a high risk of automation or risk of significant change, the magnitude of the shift is daunting nonetheless.
Still, the research is perhaps more optimistic than some that have come before it. A highly-cited Oxford University study from 2013 found that 47% of jobs in the US are considered highly automatable.
Though some trends remain the same: the jobs considered most automatable are those that require low levels of education and are often low paying. That includes positions in the manufacturing industry or agriculture industry. Those positions are also often those occupied by teenagers.
But the researchers also added a caveat.
“Caution is needed when interpreting the numbers related to the risk of automation: the actual risk of automation is subject to significant variation and, while country rankings at the top and the bottom of the scale are robust to methodological changes, there is more uncertainty for countries closer to the cross-country average,” they cautioned.
To view the full report, click here.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Matt Pritchard [1], [2].
Relocation Africa Shortlisted for 2018 Relocate Awards
We are proud to announce that Relocation Africa has been placed on the shortlist for the 2018 Relocate Awards, in the category of Best Destination Services Provider of the Year.
Launched by Relocate in 2007 as the very first awards scheme for the global mobility and relocation sector, the Relocate Awards recognize excellence, celebrate the contribution of relocation to business, and reward best practice. With this being the 11th year of the Awards, a number of new sectors and specialists have come onto the scene, and new categories were available. The Awards also help companies to network, and keep up to speed in the fast-paced relocation sector.
This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work put in by all our team members, in all of our various divisions. Thank you to all of you.
The award winners will be announced at the gala awards dinner and presentation ceremony on Thursday 10 May, at The UnderGlobe at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, in London. For more information about the Awards, click here.
The event will be followed by the Festival of Global Mobility Thinking, an interactive conference exploring innovation, transformational leadership, and agility. The event is a first for the UK, and the theme is how creativity and innovation can enable companies to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1].
SA President Ramaphosa Announces R1.2 Trillion Investment Drive
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday evening that South Africa would host a major investment conference in August or September 2018, which would aim to raise over R1trn in new investments over five years.
“The investment conference, which will involve domestic and international investors in equal measure, is not intended merely as a forum to discuss the investment climate,” said Ramaphosa, according to his prepared notes.
He was speaking at OR Tambo International Airport, before leaving for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.
“Rather, we expect the conference to report on actual investment deals that have been concluded and to provide a platform for would-be investors to seek out opportunities in the South African market. We are determined that the conference produce results that can be quantified and quickly realised.”
Ramaphosa said government hopes that the conference would generate at least $100bn – or about R1.2trn -in new investments over the next five years.
“Given the current rates of investment, this is an ambitious but realisable target that will provide a significant boost to our economy.”
Special envoys
Ramaphosa also unveiled the names of four ‘special envoys on investment’, who he said would spend the next few months engaging both domestic and foreign investors around economic opportunities in SA.
They are former minister of finance Trevor Manuel, former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas, executive chair of the Afropulse Group Phumzile Langeni, and chair of the Liberty Group and former Standard Bank head Jacko Maree.
“They will be travelling to major financial centres in Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Americas to meet with potential investors. A major part of their responsibility will be to seek out investors in other parts of Africa, from Nairobi to Lagos and from Dakar to Cairo,” he said.
The president also named businesswoman Trudi Makhaya as his economic adviser. Makhaya holds a number of degrees in business and economics, including from Oxford University and the University of the Witwatersrand.
Ramaphosa said that Makhaya would coordinate the work of the four special envoys and organise a series of investment roadshows in preparation for the conference.
According to Makhaya’s website, she has served as an adviser and angel investor to a number of companies, and has held non-executive directorships at Vumelana Advisory Fund and MTN South Africa.
She has also held management or consulting roles at Deloitte South Africa, Genesis Analytics, AngloGold Ashanti and the Competition Commission.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: Jan Cronje (Fin24) [1].
The 20 Busiest Airports in The World
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is no longer ranked among the 20 busiest in the world, thanks to the rush in Asia.
Among those pushing out JFK was New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, which made its debut on the table last year at No. 16, according to Airports Council International rankings released Monday.
The Indian airfield was also the fastest-growing on the list, with passenger traffic rising 14 percent, followed by 10 percent at China’s Guangzhou, which climbed two notches to No. 13.
The center of gravity for world aviation is continuing its eastward shift, with China and India poised to feature among the world’s top three air-travel markets by 2020 as rising incomes make fares more affordable, Montreal-based ACI said.
The Asia Pacific region is likely to have 3.5 billion passengers by 2036, adding more than double the forecast for North America and Europe combined, according to estimates by the International Air Transport Association.
To cater to that explosion in demand, about half of the $1 trillion budgeted for airport expansions and upgrades around the world are expected to be spent in Asia, Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation estimates.
Efforts by Chinese airlines to add more direct flights to the U.S. and Europe stoked passenger traffic at second- and third-tier airports last year, ACI said. Travel demand in China is expected to add 3 billion more passengers by 2040, representing 21 percent of the projected global passenger traffic growth, it said.
JFK, as in some other big cities, has other airports nearby. The combined traffic at the New York metropolitan area’s three large airports is typically twice that of JFK’s alone.
Other ACI highlights:
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: Bloomberg (via BusinessTech) [1], [2]. Image sources: [1].
Countries at Highest Risk of Job Automation
Automation may render millions of jobs obsolete but some countries may be in a better position to face the robots than others.
That’s based on research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a symposium of largely wealthier nations, using 2012 data from 32 of its members to gauge the risk of job automation on different countries.
“The variance in automatability across countries is large,” the researchers Ljubica Nedelkoska and Glenda Quintini wrote. “More generally, jobs in Anglo-Saxon, Nordic countries and the Netherlands are less automatable than jobs in Eastern European countries, South European countries, Germany, Chile and Japan.”
At one end of the spectrum, the researchers found that 33% of all jobs in Slovakia are considered highly automatable or having a 70% or more chance of being automated. That’s followed by 25% of the jobs in Slovenia, and 23% of the jobs in Greece.
Norway, on the the other hand, is the best positioned. About 6% of jobs in the Scandinavian nation are rated as highly automatable, followed by 7% in Finland, and 8% in Sweden. That’s compared to 14% of jobs across the 32 nations researched.
So, where does the United States stand?
About 10% of jobs in the US are at high risk, the researchers found. When adding in jobs that are also at risk of changing significantly due to automation, the US will be considered among the least affected in OECD countries. Though, with nearly 40% of jobs in the country either with a high risk of automation or risk of significant change, the magnitude of the shift is daunting nonetheless.
Still, the research is perhaps more optimistic than some that have come before it. A highly-cited Oxford University study from 2013 found that 47% of jobs in the US are considered highly automatable.
Though some trends remain the same: the jobs considered most automatable are those that require low levels of education and are often low paying. That includes positions in the manufacturing industry or agriculture industry. Those positions are also often those occupied by teenagers.
But the researchers also added a caveat.
“Caution is needed when interpreting the numbers related to the risk of automation: the actual risk of automation is subject to significant variation and, while country rankings at the top and the bottom of the scale are robust to methodological changes, there is more uncertainty for countries closer to the cross-country average,” they cautioned.
To view the full report, click here.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Matt Pritchard [1], [2].