Up to 3 million UK jobs at risk from automation by 2035
Trades, machine work and admin roles face highest risk from AI automation.
A new report from NFER warns that up to 3 million low-skilled jobs in the UK could disappear by 2035 due to the growing adoption of automation and AI. Sectors most at risk include trades, machine operations and administrative work, where routine and repetitive tasks dominate.
Economic forecasts remain mixed. The overall UK labour market is expected to grow by 2.3 million jobs by 2035, with gains primarily in professional and managerial roles. Many displaced workers may struggle to find new employment, widening inequality.
The change contrasts with earlier predictions suggesting AI would target higher-skilled jobs such as consultancy or software engineering. Current findings emphasise that manual and lower-skill roles face the most significant short-term disruption from AI.
Policymakers and educators are encouraged to build extensive retraining programmes and foster skills like creativity, communication and digital literacy. Without such efforts, long-term unemployment could become a significant challenge.
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