Machines to replace 85 million or half of all jobs by 2025: WEF

A new World Economic Forum report says that half of all work tasks will be performed by machines by 2025, a shift that will affect about 85 million jobs in the coming years.

The shift from human labour to machinery is likely to worsen inequality but the 'robot revolution' will also create about 97 million jobs worldwide.

The 'Future of Jobs Report 2020' said that routine or manual jobs in administration and data processing were at most risk, while job creation will be highest in care, big data and the green economy.

The report also noted that automation coupled with the pandemic is creating a 'double-disruption' scenario for workers.