Young working-class men at risk amid the growth of automation

Richard Gater, of Cardiff University, explores what work means to working-class young men in an age of increasing automation

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FOR years we've been warned that technological advances and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to sweep people out of work. But when we think about whose jobs are really under threat, the answer isn’t quite so simple.

Forecasts differ, and the speed of technological change makes it hard to predict exactly which roles will disappear. But one thing is clear - some groups are far more vulnerable than others. In particular, low-skilled, manual jobs - work that many working-class young men often find themselves in - are especially exposed.

My latest book looks at how young working-class men in the south Wales valleys view work, masculinity and the future. What I've found is a troubling mismatch between the kinds of careers being automated, the policy solutions being put forward and the identities and aspirations of those who rely most heavily on manual employment.

If such issues are not addressed, we risk rising youth unemployment and a widening of social inequality.

The workers most vulnerable to automation are those in routine manual roles. These include jobs like factory work, for example. These roles, often held by men with fewer qualifications, are easier for machines to replicate because of their repetitive nature.

By contrast, jobs that rely on social and emotional skills such as nursing and counselling are harder to automate. These roles are often associated with femininity or softer expressions of masculinity.