Dive Brief:

• A majority (86%) of employers plan to maintain or increase headcount due to automation, according to a ManpowerGroup report.
• The workforce solutions company asked 20,000 employers in more than 40 countries what they thought the impact of automation would be on their headcount in the next two years. Most employers (66%) believe digitization will result in no net increase or decrease for employment; only 10% of respondents expect a decrease in staff levels due to automation.
• Among the industries analyzed in the report, manufacturing and production will experience the most fluctuation, with 19% of employers in the sector projecting a headcount decrease and 24% expecting an increase.

Dive Insight:

Automation is often projected to take tasks, not jobs, away from workers. The “skills reshuffle” will require companies to look at upskilling employees from declining growth industries and readying them for other sectors. While they may be training for jobs that don’t currently exist, the focus on soft skills will help workers adapt.

Employers are increasingly looking for employees with collaboration, communication, problem solving, creativity and organizational skills, as they're expected to be able to adapt to whatever the future will hold. It's up to employers to determine what skills workers will need to be viable in the future, and how to continuously upskill them to meet new challenges.