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Who Is at Risk?
Article

Who Is at Risk?

Work and Automation in the Time of Covid-19

RSA, 2020


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8

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The global COVID-19 pandemic has wrought sweeping changes in every aspect of life, including the world of work. In this report, Fabian Wallace-Stephens and Emma Morgante of the royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce’s Economy, Enterprise and Manufacturing Team explore how COVID-19’s effects on various industries intersect with an increased embrace of automation. Taken together, the authors argue, these near-term factors may have long-term effects on the labor market as businesses and consumers alike grow more comfortable with technological solutions introduced, initially, to combat the virus’s spread.

Take-Aways

  • Businesses may, increasingly, embrace automation as a way to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
  • Even once the virus is a thing of the past, the technologies introduced during the pandemic may remain in use.
  • Automating allows businesses to forgo the costs associated with protecting human workers from COVID-19.

About the Authors

Fabian Wallace-Stephens is a senior researcher in the RSA’s (the royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) Economy, Enterprise and Manufacturing Team, and part of the RSA Future Work Centre research team. Emma Morgante is an intern for the RSA’s Economy, Enterprise and Manufacturing Team.