Lars Persson explained that automation means that jobs disappear, but also that new jobs are added as productivity increases. He also said that the percentage of people in professions with a high risk of automation has decreased. Many Swedish companies have already rationalized their operations.
“Our research shows that low-skilled people are at higher risk of losing their jobs than people with higher education,” Lars Persson said, and went on to say that automation has also meant that companies have become more productive, especially companies in the manufacturing industry.
The representatives of the European Commission were particularly interested in how researchers view developments in industries where it is natural to use robots. The visit was a part of the process of writing the Europian Commission’s Country Report, an annual report dealing with the overall economic and social development of the member states.