Impacts of digitalisation for the working environment : Hardly any occupation is completely substitutable

Abstract

"The ongoing digitalisation will continue to change the future working environment. However, different impacts for single occupations may emerge. We analyse for Germany the degree of substitution of occupational tasks by computerisation (substitution potential). Both unskilled or semi-skilled activities and specialist activities show a higher average substitution potential compared with activities that require a higher qualification. The substitution potential is high for occupations in the industrial production and low for occupations in the social and cultural services. Approximately 15 per cent of employees subject to social insurance contributions have a high substitution potential in the year 2013 in Germany, i.e. they are employed in an occupation in which more than 70 per cent of the tasks could already be substituted by computerisation. However, it is very unlikely that occupations may completely disappear." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Dengler, K. & Matthes, B. (2015): Folgen der Digitalisierung für die Arbeitswelt: In kaum einem Beruf ist der Mensch vollständig ersetzbar. (IAB-Kurzbericht 24/2015), Nürnberg, 7 p.