Taxi drivers, cashiers and other jobs facing extinction by technology
One of the challenges facing developed economies is that increased use of technology is set to wipe out many jobs. This is leading politicians to explore schemes like national basic incomes so that people can support themselves in a world where work is less certain.
But which jobs are most at risk of disappearing? UK services marketplace Bidvine has conducted a survey to find out how the public think advances in technology are changing the job market.
The results make sobering reading for people in some occupations (if you're a taxi driver you may want to look away now). 36 percent of respondents think taxi drivers will be facing extinction within a decade thanks to the rise of self-driving cars.
Train drivers are an endangered species too, with 10 percent believing they'll be gone in the next 10 years. Self-checkouts and cashless stores will lead to cashiers being out of a job too, with 11 percent believing they'll be obsolete within a decade.
There are some more surprising jobs on the list though. The rising demand for distance and online learning was the most popular reason why 18 percent of respondents think educators will become extinct. More than half (51 percent) say that online education platforms will take over the industry.
Nine percent think journalists will become obsolete -- they obviously don't read the sort of quality stuff you get on BetaNews! Respondents say the rise of citizen journalism on social media platforms (37 percent) and the decline in print journalism (46 percent) will be most responsible for the disappearance of journalists as we know them.
"The evolution of the jobs market is fascinating and it's particularly interesting seeing how members of the public see the future. Technology is going to continue to play a leading role in pushing change forward, and just like the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, we’re likely to see jobs change rapidly in order to keep up," says Sohrab Jahanbani, CEO of Bidvine.com. "However jobs evolve in the future, local services from handymen, plumbers and wedding photographers aren't going away anytime soon, and Bidvine is here to connect customers with the right professionals."
You can read more and find out if your job is on the top 10 endangered list on the Bidvine site.
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