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Article

16 Nov 2018

Author:
Mariya Brussevich, Era Dabla-Norris, Christine Kamunge, Pooja Karnane, Salma Khalid & Kalpana Kochhar, International Monetary Fund

Gender, technology, and the future of work discussion note

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New technologies―digitalization, artificial intelligence, and machine learning―are changing the way work gets done at an unprecedented rate... [T]his SDN finds that women, on average, perform more routine tasks than men across all sectors and occupations―tasks that are most prone to automation... [W]e estimate that 26 million female jobs in 30 countries (28 OECD member countries, Cyprus, and Singapore) are at a high risk of being displaced by technology... . Less well-educated, older female workers (aged 40 and older), and those in lowskill clerical, service, and sales positions are disproportionately exposed to automation... [W]e find that about 180 million female jobs are at high risk of being displaced globally... Across sectors and occupations, underrepresentation of women in professional and managerial positions places them at high risk of displacement by technology... [J]obs created by automation, and those that will survive, will likely be more demanding in terms of technical skills and cognitive abilities than the jobs they replace... Women appear less endowed with some of the skills needed to thrive in the digital era: they are currently underrepresented in sectors anticipating jobs growth, such as engineering and ICT... Our analysis does not capture the burgeoning “gig” economy―growing employment in flexible, independent work arrangements (either part- or full-time) intermediated by digital platforms. While data constraints preclude an in-depth analysis, more flexible ways of working could make it easier for women to combine paid work with family responsibilities, potentially improving labor market outcomes.