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UK - There is no reason to fear the rise of the robots, according to Barclays

01 December 2015

Research from Barclays has suggested that the rise of the robots will create more jobs in the UK’s manufacturing industry rather than take them.

According to its Future-proofing UK Manufacturing report, it claims that an extra £1.2 billion of investment in robots could lift the economy by as much as £60.5 billion over the next decade.

It also states that robots would help the manufacturing sector to grow by £38 billion to £191 billion by 2025, and would protect more than 100,000 jobs, not just in manufacturing. Manufacturing jobs are expected to decline as automation in factories is expected to lead to more job cuts and this investment would aim to help moderate the expected decline by creating 73,500 jobs by 2025. Barclays reports that the total number of jobs that could be saved by robots is 105,800 in the next decade.

“This report highlights the importance of investing in robotics and automation for manufacturers as a potential solution to the ongoing ‘productivity puzzle,’ "  Mike Rigby, head of manufacturing at Barclays, said.

“By investing an additional £1.2 billion in automation technologies over the next decade, the UK manufacturing sector is forecast to create an additional £60.5 billon of economic output and safeguard more than 105,800 jobs throughout the wider economy.”

Robotisation competes with the use of temporary agency workers, so this is relevant to us.