If you are concerned about your professional situation since the appearance of artificial intelligence, here is the first profession to disappear.
The impact of artificial intelligence on the worried labor market. And for good reason, a recent study by McKinsey, published in May 2024, draws up an alarming table. Among the most threatened professions: a historically female profession could see millions of positions suppressed in Europe by 2030.
According to this study, the continent should count between 1.1 and 1.5 million professional retraining per year in the next six years. These changes affect all sectors, but some are more concerned. Very concretely, the figures reveal that around 27 % of current hours of work in Europe could be automated by 2030, a figure that increases to 30 % in the United States. These changes concern both physical tasks and those requiring repetitive cognitive skills, where IA excels. Even without the most recent advances, almost 20 % of working hours could already be automated with current technologies. The most in danger sectors? Those where the tasks are standardized or purely administrative. This is where one of the most significant observations of the study comes in: a 97% female profession is on red alert.
Indeed, the report estimates a net reduction of 5 million positions for this profession, a dizzying drop compared to 2022. In France, nearly 650,000 professionals are currently working in this branch. According to ONISEP, they are mainly based in Île-de-France, in the south of the country and in Alsace. The gradual replacement of these positions with automated solutions poses a colossal challenge: how to accompany these workers in their retraining, and what sectors can absorb this workforce? You will understand, if you exercise as a secretary, it’s time to look at the issue.
In parallel, other trades are experiencing encouraging development. The professions related to health and well-being, for example, are growing. These, requiring a strong human and emotional dimension, are better resistant to automation. There is an increase of 3 million workers in this sector by 2030, offering positive perspectives for those who wish to convert.
