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The world of work is changing, Are you ready?
Chemical engineering. A survey of US college graduates saw chemical engineers top a list of 50 majors with a mid-career median salary (10 years in) of $107,000. By comparison, political science came in 21st, with $78,200. Read more here.
Fast-food worker. McKinsey's study of 46 countries and 800 different job types suggested that one-third of tasks in up to 60% of jobs could be automated – fast-food workers, machine operators and back-room staff were cited as among the most vulnerable. Find out more here.
Data analyst. With increasing swathes of jobs at risk of automation, consultancy Guthrie Jensen racked up a list of professions that might interest those looking to "future-proof" their careers. Data analyst came in at No 1, with management analyst fifth. Find out the others in the top 10 here.
Technological skills. Social and emotional adeptness will also be important in the future, but not as much tech proficiency. By 2030, the total number of hours worked by those schooled in the latter is projected to increase by 60% in the US and 52% in Western Europe. Find out more here.
China. The country's fight to lead AI research worldwide has left its workers fearing for the future of their jobs - 80% of survey respondents there believed tech would take over repetitive tasks, compared 51% in Mexico and 39% in Germany. Read more here.
Assembly-line workers. New research by the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group, cross-referencing 50 million job adverts to suggest corresponding careers for a wide range of different positions, found that assembly-line workers would have 140,000 alternative "good fits", as opposed to 15,000 for a machine inspector. Read in greater detail here.
2027. Today, more than 57 million workers – about 36% of the US workforce - freelance. But, according to the Freelancers Union and Upwork, their numbers will exceed non-freelancers – 86.5 million to 83.4 million – by 2027.
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