“Without urgent and targeted action today, to manage the near-term transition and build a workforce with future-proof skills, governments will have to cope with ever-growing unemployment and inequality, and businesses with a shrinking consumer base.” Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Automation will do away with most existing jobs but it will also create new ones. Retraining in a massive scale will be necessary. In particular, manual laborers are at risk of unemployment in the absence of retraining, as the new jobs will be in more specialized areas. Governments and employers in every sector are being urged to retrain and re-skill workers to avoid a crisis.

The Future Work Market

Successfully combining mathematical and interpersonal skills will be the gateway to many rewarding opportunities.Along with mathematical ability, soft skills, like empathy and cooperation, will be crucial as people move between different roles and projects. On the other hand, opportunities for single-skillset jobs will decline.

New Skills For New Economies

Maths ability will get you furthest, says Harvard's Davis Deming. As long as you've got the social skills to go with it.