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According to a new study, retail could actually lose a greater proportion of jobs to automation than manufacturing has: over the course of 10 years, 6 million to 7.5 positions (which represents at least 38% of the current retail workforce) may be replaced. We should expect to see many less cashiers in the future (self-checkout lanes) as well as sales jobs, as touchscreen computers and similar devices could take their place. Stocking and inventory positions would also be prime targets for automation.
The retail industry is already undergoing cataclysmic changes, with about 3,300 store closings announced so far this year, according to Fung Global Retail & Technology, a retail think tank. But automation will drive more job losses than store closings in the next decade, Wilson said. "Store closings have to do with overbuilding and e-commerce," Wilson said. "But going forward, job losses will really be about automation." Rising wages are also helping to drive automation, as state and city governments hike their minimum wages. Additionally, several major retailers including Walmart (WMT), the nation's largest employer, have increased wages in order to find and retain the workers they need.
The retail industry is already undergoing cataclysmic changes, with about 3,300 store closings announced so far this year, according to Fung Global Retail & Technology, a retail think tank. But automation will drive more job losses than store closings in the next decade, Wilson said. "Store closings have to do with overbuilding and e-commerce," Wilson said. "But going forward, job losses will really be about automation." Rising wages are also helping to drive automation, as state and city governments hike their minimum wages. Additionally, several major retailers including Walmart (WMT), the nation's largest employer, have increased wages in order to find and retain the workers they need.