Almost 250,000 UK Public Sector Workers Could Lose Jobs to Robots by 2030

91,208 of 112,726 administrator roles in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) could be automated, reducing the wage bill by approximately 1.7 billion pounds, according to the report of the Reform think tank.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Almost 250,000 public sector workers in the United Kingdom could lose their jobs to the artificial intelligence machines by 2030, which would allow to deliver more cost-efficient services, the Reform think tank said in a report published on Monday.

“Over the next 10 to 15 years, central government departments could further reduce headcount by 131,962, saving 2.6 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) from the 2016-17 wage bill,” the report read.

It also suggested that, according to the estimates, 91,208 of 112,726 administrator roles in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) could be automated, reducing the wage bill by approximately 1.7 billion pounds.

The report concluded that in order to meet the needs and expectations of people the government has “to escape yesterday’s approach to workforce design.” Among other recommendations, it suggested to introduce new recruitment patterns and to embrace a “gig” economy where workers support themselves through flexible jobs acquired at online platforms.