The year is 2030, and apparently enough scientists and engineers never saw Terminator because we’ve replaced 90% of our nation’s workforce with machines. The unemployment rate has skyrocketed. Civil unrest spreads from city to city. Your Starbucks barista is now a tin can with an articulated metal hand and a painted-on green apron. The robopocalypse is here, and instead of being dished out by an army of unstoppable killing machines, it’s coming via our own self-created obsolescence.
Are we doomed to the ironic fate of living as slaves to a robot race that we created to serve us? That is something only time will tell, but according to a recent Oxford University study on increasing industrial automation and its effect on the economy, the odds are that we will soon be made redundant by robots are growing .
In addition to its chilling proposition of an economy dominated by engineered appliances, the study describes the industries and positions that will be the most affected by the shift away from human labor. These are predominantly jobs that do not require a high skill level, cleverness, gut-decision making – essentially things that, at least for now, only humans can really do well. For example, occupational therapists have a very low chance of being replaced by robots because their work requires a high capacity for reading often sensitive patients and adjusting to suit their needs at every moment.
Positions with a high percentage of probability for roboticization are ones mostly comprised of repeated tasks, things like following a route, performing a calculation, or relaying a message. Truck Drivers, Accountants, and most service sector jobs have a high probability of soon being performed by our robot overlords – er, I mean, automated devices – because they require skills that are easily programmable.
Automating jobs is cost effective for the non-robots at the top of the industrial food chain, but the long term effects on the national, and global, economy could be devastating. Replacing the service sector with machines would effectively wipe out the middle class, but more importantly, ROBOTS COULD TAKE OVER THE WORLD.
If this dystopian future is on the horizon, the most we can do is prepare with the information we have. By comparing the number of jobs at high risk of automation to jobs at low risk of automation by metropolitan area, we have compiled a list of the top 20 cities most likely to be taken over by robots. We have also taken into account the number of currently open jobs in the area to measure future industry growth and impact. The cities on this list are generally doing well economically, and the industries at risk for automation are in most cases thriving. This list is not intended to illustrate economic malady, but rather, the risk we run by allowing robots to someday comprise the bulk of our workforce.
Read this list if you want to live.
- Denver-Aurora, CO: 51% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 663,862
- Current Unemployment Rate,Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4.5%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Trucking: Truck Driver
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machine Operator
- Sales & Biz Dev: Loan Officer
- Retail: Retail Associate
- Customer Service: Telemarketer
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA: 50% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 599, 789
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4.4%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Retail: Store Associate
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Restaurant Staff
- Office/Admin: Postal Service Clerk
- Sales & Biz Dev: Insurance Agent
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 48% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 2,035,210
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6.8%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Manufacturing/Operations: Timing Device Assembler
- Accounting/Finance: Tax Preparer
- Retail: Cashier
- Government: Postal Worker
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Waiter
- Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH: 46% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 2,077,240
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6.4%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machinist
- Accounting/Finance: Bookkeeper
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Construction Foreman
- Legal: Paralegal
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Bartender
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 45% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 6,426,214
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4.1%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Art/Media/Writers: Technical Writer
- Automotive: Mechanic
- Customer Service: Bank Teller
- Retail: Merchandise Buyer
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 44% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 3,459,146
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Accountant
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Appliance Technician
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Cook
- Manufacturing/Operations: Timing Device Assembler
- Trucking/Transport: Truck Driver
- Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC: 43% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 2,511,577
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Credit Analyst
- Automotive: Mechanic
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machine Operator
- Trucking/Transport: Truck Driver
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Construction Manager
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 43% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 318,416
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6.8%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machine Operator
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Journeyman
- Office/Admin: Administrative Assistant
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Restaurant Staff
- Sales & Biz Dev: Insurance Agent
- Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN: 42% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 1,792,649
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Bartender
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machinist
- Sales & Biz Dev: Insurance Agent
- Retail: Retail Associate
- Kansas City, MO-KS: 42% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 467,007
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.9%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Sales & Biz Dev: Tax Specialist
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machine Operator
- Government: Postal Worker
- Legal: Court Reporter
- Office/Admin: Administrative Assistant
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA: 42% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 5,522,942
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6.1%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Sales & Biz Dev: Loan Officer
- Customer Service: Call Center Agent
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Art/Media/Writers: Technical Writer
- Sales & Biz Dev: Market Research Analyst
- Indianapolis-Carmel, IN: 42% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 85,927
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.7%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Retail: Retail Associate
- Office/Admin: Bookkeeper
- Waste Management: Garbage Collectors
- Trucking/Transport: Truck Driver
- Manufacturing/Operations: Machine Operator
- San Antonio, TX: 41% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 2,277,550
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 3.2%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Accountant
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Journeyman
- Customer Service: Call Center Associate
- Sales & Biz Dev: Real Estate Agent
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Event Server
- Baltimore-Towson, MD: 40% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 2,710,489
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.8%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Credit Analyst
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Home Appliance Technician
- Retail: Tour Guide
- Sales & Biz Dev: Loan Officer
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Baker
- Pittsburgh, PA: 40% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 305,841
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4.6%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Credit Analyst
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Home Appliance Technician
- Retail: Tour Guide
- Sales & Biz Dev: Loan Officer
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Baker
- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ: 39% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 226,918
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.4%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Sales & Biz Dev: Real Estate Agent
- Accounting/Finance: Accountant
- Retail: Sales Associate
- Office/Admin: Bookkeeper
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Cashier
- Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI: 38% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 4,304,617
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 6.3%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Journeyman
- Retail: Merchandise Buyer
- Sales & Biz Dev: Sales Representative
- Manufacturing/Operations: Structural Metal Fabricator
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL: 38% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 5,929,819
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.3%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Accounting/Finance: Financial Analyst
- Accounting/Finance: Auditor
- Sales & Biz Dev: Market Research Analyst
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Restaurant Server
- Retail: Retail Manager
- Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX: 38% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 6,177,035
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 4.3%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Manufacturing/Operations: Packaging and Filling Machine Operators
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Cook
- Sales & Biz Dev: Insurance Agent
- Trucking/Transportation: Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver
- Construction/Skilled Trade: Appliance Repair Technician
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 37% Susceptible to Robot Domination
- Population: 3,453,748
- Current Unemployment Rate, Pre-Robotic Disruption: 5.5%
- Major industries that will lead to its downfall, and their most at risk position:
- Sales & Biz Dev: Insurance Agent
- Retail: Retail Merchandiser
- Accounting/Finance: Tax Preparer
- Hospitality/Restaurant: Server
- Office/Admin: Bookkeeper
