COVID-19: US tech workers fear losing jobs to automation in post-pandemic era

Nearly 67 percent of Americans working in technology companies are afraid of losing their jobs to automation and other tools as employers explore ways to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a global service provider said on Friday. Several tech workers may lose their jobs to digital capabilities powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic software.

As many as 1,000 full-time and part-time workers across a range of industries are employed in the tech sector.

"Workers in the tech industry are closer to the technology and thus have a unique understanding, more so than other industries, of technology and its capabilities," KPMG tech-industry practice leader Tim Zanni was quoted as saying.

He added that workers at technology firms see emerging digital capabilities in the early stages of development and have anticipated the impact of these tools on their jobs.

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Automation displaces workers

US technology firms discarded at least 112,000 jobs in April, erasing total job gains over the past year. The nation's tech sector employs roughly 6 million workers, including tech professionals, as well as people in sales, marketing, human resources, and other positions. Together, they account for an estimated 4 percent of the total American workforce.

Technology market research firm International Data Corp. has estimated that Artificial Intelligence jobs globally could witness a rise by at least 16 percent this year, crossing 950,000. Increasing demand for AI capabilities has proven beneficial as companies face with the aftermath of the pandemic.

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It also estimated that 40 percent of companies worldwide are increasing their use of automation to fight the pandemic, often following tech firms involved in developing these capabilities.

Automation replaced workers at companies in many sectors after the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The trend had slowed down the labour market recovery owing to the crisis, and overall employment took nearly two years to rebound, the report said.

"We believe that hyper-automation is where the market is headed," said Daniel Dines, chief executive of robotic process automation maker UiPath Inc. The New York-based company is already adding roughly 10 corporate customers a day, a faster clip than 2019, he added.

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(With inputs from ANI)