Technological changes have long caused anxiety over the possibility of large-scale technological unemployment. The aim of this diploma thesis is to form our own assessment of the possible effects of future automation on employment in Slovenia. The existing literature on the effects of automation was carefully considered, and some past examples of technological anxiety amongst social scientists are presented. Additionally, key trends that have marked the labour market since the beginning of the computer era are examined. Specifically, we examine skill-biased and routine-biased technological change in more detail. Before turning to our own assessment of the effects of automation on employment in Slovenia, we discuss why making such assessments is difficult in the first place. We estimate the number of jobs at risk in Slovenia by applying the probabilities of computerization for different occupations as developed by Frey and Osborne to the Slovenian labour market. We find that 44.6% of jobs in Slovenia are highly likely to be automated in the next decade or two. However, we caution against interpreting this number as a prediction of aggregate employment loss. In relation to that, we discuss some reasons why the number of jobs at risk might actually be significantly lower, as well as examine some factors that may influence the pace and scope of future automation even if the technology itself does become available.
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