The growing adoption of technologies is disrupting traditional roles and transforming the world of work, a new report concludes.

One in three jobs in Ireland is at high risk of being disrupted by the adoption of digital technologies, according to the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.

The group's report, Digital Transformation : Assessing the Impact of Digitalisation on Ireland's Workforce,   says digital factors will result in changes to job roles and tasks performed by individuals rather than job losses.

Chairman Tony Donohoe stated: “Digital transformation is a key component to business success. Whilst this report predicts that the economy will grow strongly over the next five years, it also makes clear that career changes and workforce transitions will be a feature of the future. This means that lifelong learning will become even more of an imperative for the workforce.”

The report estimates that digital disruption will result in 46,000 fewer jobs being created than would otherwise be the case.

In Association with

The sectors identified most at risk include Agriculture, Retail, Transport and Hospitality, and Manufacturing. The jobs at highest risk of displacement by digital technologies include low-skilled occupations but also include several sales and customer service occupations that can be replaced through a combination of chat bots and robotic process automation.

The Expert Group says employers need to support workers to upskill and reskill, the report concludes.  Dublin is the least at risk from automation, while the Midlands and Border regions are most at risk.

Photo: Tony Donohoe and minister Heather Humphreys