10 Jobs that will be Out of the Market by 2030
Written by Halimat Thanni
Technology is a driving force in the modern world. Since the industrial revolution, technology has transformed economies, improving productivity. However, as it became more advanced, it led to the elimination of certain jobs.
Jobs like milkmen, human computers, food tasters, telegraphists, elevator operators, etc., have long become obsolete. Today, technology has become more complex than ever, and with the dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, more jobs are set to disappear by 2030.
According to a 2017 report, over 30% of work activities are automatable in 6 in 10 jobs, and 800 million jobs across the globe could be out of the market by 2030. If you’re worried about your career or just curious about what the future holds, dive in!
· Store Cashiers
The disappearance of store cashiers is already happening right in front of our eyes. Companies like Walmart, Mcdonald’s, and Target are already implementing self-checkout in many stores.
While one may argue about the quality of customer experience with these machines and whether they will be here for a long time, one thing is for sure; we are entering a very cashless society that would require fewer cashiers to handle payments.
In addition, grocery delivery services are growing in popularity as well as general online shopping. Cashiers have a predicted 97% of automation, implying the inevitable demise of the role.
· Travel Agent
Thanks to travel booking websites, travel agents are rapidly going out of business. Rather than contacting an agent to book tickets and pay the extra fee, most people simply just use the many booking websites available today from the comfort of their homes. With a bank card and an internet-connected device — two things that are pretty common today, anyone can book a flight.
Coupled with the lasting impact of COVID-19, which has significantly slowed growth in the travel industry, travel organizations may choose to drop travel agents as demand for them continues to fall and fully focus on their online services.
· Bank Teller
The inventions of ATMs and bank cards were the first indication that automation could eliminate some jobs in the banking sector. As technology advanced, people started having fewer reasons to visit a bank. Online banking has cut bank queues short; consequently, the demand for bank tellers is dropping significantly.
As expected, online banking is here to stay. According to GP Bullhound’s survey, 91% of people say they prefer using a mobile banking app to visiting a physical bank. In the era of convenience and ease, there might be no place for tellers by 2030.
· Taxi Drivers
Another job role that would sooner or later find itself out of the market is a taxi driver. Companies like Lyft have announced plans to launch fully driverless ride-hailing services in Las Vegas by 2023.
On the other hand, Uber sold its self-driving car project to a Silicon Valley start-up and invested millions of dollars in the said company. Clearly, we’re headed into a future where automated cars will be the norm, and the need for human drivers will all but disappear.
· Postman/Mailman
Emails and texts have gained immense popularity replacing letter writing. Bills and bank statements can now be viewed on mobile. Due to the convenience of these digital mailing methods, mailmen are bound to be out of the job market in the coming years. While some bills are still delivered via mail, creating some demand for mailmen, automation is set to completely replace them soon.
Companies like Amazon have already announced that drones will deliver packages this year. With other companies already going down the same path, we are bound to have a full-scale drone delivery system soon.
· Legal Secretary
According to a Deloitte study, about 114,000 legal jobs will likely be automated in the coming years. Jobs more likely to be automated are mostly repetitive administrative tasks performed by legal secretaries.
This is due to the adoption of complex technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. As technology becomes more refined, the demand for legal secretaries will continue to drop until they disappear entirely from the job market.
· Telemarketers
According to The Guardian, telemarketing is the least safe job, with a 99% chance of being replaced by automation in the near future. Already, we have witnessed a significant reduction in telemarketers in the past decade, and it is bound to be completely dead in a few years.
Companies today would rather rely on AI to automate sales than humans. Due to the repetitive nature of the job, machines are now programmed and infused with voice recognition to handle sales. They are also more efficient and productive than humans, eliminating the need for telemarketers.
· Lumberjacks
Lumberjacks might be one of the first jobs on our list to go extinct for two reasons. The first is that there are already machines that can do the work of lumberjacks faster and more efficiently. Lumberjacks basically cut and stack trees. Today, we have machinery that can do the jobs of multiple lumberjacks at once.
Second, governments and organizations across the globe are becoming more environmentally conscious. This means less harvesting of trees and more focus on alternative eco-friendly methods. With a combination of a greener world and automation, there’s no place for lumberjacks in the future.
· Parking Lot Attendants
Hello, robotic surveillance and goodbye, parking lot attendants. Parking lot attendants are set to go out of the job market over the next couple of years. This is due to the implementation of robotic parking systems that are now gaining popularity. Automation will completely replace the need to pay humans to park cars in a garage.
· Fast Food Cooks
With self-service terminals already becoming more prominent globally, automation has moved into the kitchen. Fast food cooks are facing an 81% chance of automation. Using robot technology, restaurants depend less and less on humans to flip burgers or make pizza.
In the United States, the adoption of robot technology by these restaurants has been accelerated due to the inability to find restaurant staff. Ultimately, as technology becomes cheaper and more efficient, the need for human cooks will eventually fade and be entirely replaced by robots.
Conclusion
While this list spells doom for many careers, as it would lead to a spike in global unemployment rates, this is also a wake-up call. Long before these careers will begin to fade, this is the right time to take up a new skill and boost your competitive advantage for the future. As technology becomes a bigger part of the world, it’s time to take advantage of it by picking up a digital skill.
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