In Portugal, nearly 30% of workers are in professions that face a significant risk of collapse, meaning their jobs are highly susceptible to automation and offer limited opportunities to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). This finding comes from a recent study conducted by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, which emphasizes the need for worker retraining.
The study highlights specific occupations, such as salespeople, waiters and waitresses, and machine operators in the textile industry, which are particularly vulnerable to technological disruptions. With the ongoing digital transformation of the job market, the Foundation aims to analyze which professions are most affected by these changes, both positively and negatively, to develop targeted strategies that could mitigate the negative consequences of technological advancements.
The study categorizes jobs into four areas based on their exposure to technology: professions on the rise (high potential for transformation and low risk of disruption), professions in decline (high risk of being replaced by technology), the human domain (low exposure to both transformative and disruptive effects), and the machine domain (high exposure to both). The study concludes that 28.8% of Portuguese workers are in professions at risk of collapse.
Among the most common jobs in Portugal, sales workers stand out as one of the most threatened professions, representing 5.3% of the workforce. In addition, other professions in decline include those in elementary work (3.5% of jobs) and waitstaff (2.5% of jobs). Machine operators in the textile, fur, and leather industries, as well as sheet metal workers, skilled food processors, cooks, and cashiers, also face significant risks.
The study further notes that workers in these vulnerable professions tend to earn lower incomes and generally lack higher education, with only 5.4% holding a degree. This makes them particularly susceptible to unemployment or unstable work conditions.
To address this issue, the Foundation recommends that policymakers anticipate additional pressure on Portugal’s social security system and implement active policies aimed at retraining workers and reintegrating the unemployed into the workforce.
On a more positive note, the study suggests that the transition of workers from collapsing professions may not be too difficult. The skills required for these roles are closely aligned with those needed in jobs that are more resilient to technological disruption, which could ease the process of reskilling and help workers move to more sustainable roles.
