Automation of employee tasks has barely increased in recent years, despite a tight labor market. This is the conclusion The future of jobsReport from the World Economic Forum (WEF). This is the fourth edition of the international survey, in which hundreds of companies around the world are asked about changes in the labor market.

In companies that have requested, 34 percent of tasks are currently automated. In the previous edition of the report in 2020, that percentage was 33 percent.

In 2018, employers still expected to automate 42 percent of tasks by 2022. Employers now expect to reach that percentage in 2027. This is average, because the speed at which tasks are automated varies depending on the type of task. The degree of automation will be higher for data and information processing than for communication or decision-making tasks.

Some of the skills employees have now will become obsolete in the next five years due to automation. According to the report, nearly six out of ten employees will need additional education or training before 2027. This mainly relates to analytical skills or dealing with artificial intelligence.

Currently, less than half of employees have access to adequate training resources. This, in particular, can be an obstacle for employers to implement major changes.

Employers expect an increase of 69 million jobs and a decrease of 83 million jobs over the next five years. Worldwide, this means a 2 percent decrease in current employment.

A large proportion of the companies asked expect that technological advances will lead to job losses, but that this will lead to more jobs elsewhere, so that there will eventually be more jobs. Only advances in robotics will lead to net job losses, companies predict.