The polarization in jobs and wages is likely to worsen with the introduction of intelligent machines. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Ten years from now, the uncertainty in the South Korean job market will have worsened. More than a handful of jobs will have been replaced by artificial intelligence, although technological advancements will allow for several new occupations. Continued innovation in manufacturing, including 3D printing, will bring rise to more startups and self-employed businesses.
These are some of the projections for the year 2027 suggested by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning along with civilian experts in the recent report Republic of Korea in Ten Years – In search of Future Jobs.
According to the report, changes in human jobs are inevitable with technological advancements and the new roles that machines will undertake.
The idea of “permanent workplace” will gradually fade as companies will start hiring individuals only when needed, functioning more as a medium to link jobseekers with specific jobs or projects with less emphasis on the idea of “working together” to achieving a common goal. Traditional jobs will be replaced by temporary, and more independent, positions.
The report also suggested that fewer employees will be bound to a specific workplace or time, as jobs, and the ways they are carried out, will become more ubiquitous. But this could also mean that laws and regulations currently protecting employee rights could become obsolete.
The polarization in jobs and wages is likely to worsen with the introduction of intelligent machines.
The report predicted that “middle skilled” jobs, which require repetitive labor and are vulnerable to automation, would see a decline in numbers. This would compel a large number of employees in the affected sectors, who would struggle to move up to “highest skilled” jobs, to instead flock to “lowest skilled” jobs, resulting in an excess supply of labor, and consequently, a drop in overall wages.
Jobs of the future will require more professional knowledge and specificity, and among the newly emerging jobs suggested by the officials are avatar developers, brain and machinery interface experts, memory alteration experts, memory representatives, and storage maintenance specialists. The commercialization of space travel could also bring about space travel guides, and even miners or farmers working in outer space.
Imagination and creativity were two qualities that would serve one well in the future employment environment, according to the report, adding that job seekers will have to have the capacity to fluently communicate and work with machines, as well as the ability to recognize and solve complex problems with creativity.
At the same time, Korean society as a whole should reform the education system to nurture more professionals in the fields of software and coding, establish a safety net for those struggling to adapt, and continue efforts to create quality jobs, officials suggested.
By Joseph Shin (jss539@koreabizwire.com)
