30% of Portuguese Jobs Face AI Disruption Risk

A study by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation shows that 30% of Portuguese workers work in jobs that face imminent automation risk. The researchers assessed how automated tasks replace workers, but AI enhances human work activities. The research shows Portugal has 30% of its workforce in occupations that Artificial Intelligence puts at urgent risk but brings little AI advantages.

Sales workers hold the highest risk at 5.3 percent of total employment positions in Portugal. Other basic job categories and restaurant staffs represent 3.5% and 2.5% of all worker groups at risk of extinction through AI automation.

Additional high-risk professions include:

• Textile manufacturing machine operators
• Sheet metal workers
• Food processing workers
• Cooks
• Cashiers and ticket sales operators

Employees generally earn less money and have less training than others because studies reveal just 5.4% of them finished their higher education. Their present work situation makes them very difficult to protect when technology takes over their jobs.

The organization calls on regulators to plan for new demands on Social Security programs and work on retraining programs to help workers recover their job positions. Although reskilling programs seem routine for researchers due to many jobs needing basic skills similar to safer work areas. The Portuguese government needs to launch specific training programs to support workers during the AI and automation revolution.