During pandemic, more workers being replaced by robots, new study finds

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said on Monday that workers whose jobs can be done by machines suffered more layoffs per capita than those with jobs that aren’t as easily automated. — Dreamstime/TNS

PHILADELPHIA: The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the trend of robots replacing humans in the workplace, which could result in a recovery from recession that nonetheless costs jobs, according to a new report.

Workers whose jobs can be done by machines suffered more layoffs per capita than those with jobs that aren’t as easily automated, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said in a report released Monday. People of colour were especially harmed, possibly because of their concentration in service jobs at risk of automation.