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Almost half of professions under threat from digital technologies

28 February 2017

Forty percent of professions today are set to disappear from the labour market over the next 10 years. In particular, the number of accountants, lawyers and economists is set to fall dramatically. Experts see the rapid development of digital technologies and the mass automation of production as contributing factors.

“In ten years’ time, 40% of professions will cease to exist. This is the harsh reality we face, and we are already seeing mass reductions in the number of lawyers, economists, and accountants, as employers go digital,” said Dmitry Kuznetsov, Director of the School of Law of the Higher School of Economics.

Experts believe that the Russian labour market is in need of reform, in particular with regard to rights and the regulation of labour activity.

“We need to digitalize personnel documentation. This is an area in which we lag behind many other spheres, such as finance, taxation, and insurance. We must also do away with the numerous documents required during the job application process, creating an electronic employment record book in its place. The employer must facilitate the process at every stage, from cooperation with the employee to the setting up of electronic documentation. This will significantly reduce expenditures for the employer and expedite the administrative process,” Kuznetsov said, as quoted by TASS.

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