Rapid deployment of technology in the workplace has led to fears that some skills and professions will become redundant. However, history shows that the labour market has a way of adjusting to changes
Emotional connectA surgical assistant and nurse accompany obesity specialist Dr Muffazal Lakdawala during a bariatric surgery in Mumbai. Jobs like that of nurses and caregivers, which involve empathy and emotional connections, are relatively hard to automate and will see a boom in developing economies like India, futurists predict.
Image by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
2/11
Forgotten workforceAfter the second day of a week-long job training programme at Metropolitan Community College in North Omaha, US, Angelica Dunn heads home with her son. Half of black families in Omaha are headed by single black mothers, 42 percent of whom live below poverty line. According to a McKinsey report, women represent one of the largest pools of untapped labour: Globally, 655 m
Image by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images
3/11
Unsung artistsA Kashmiri craftsman weaves a Kani shawl with wooden needles and thread made out of Pashmina wool, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Kani shawl weaving is one of the most difficult and rare craftsmanships. That these weavers can withstand low wages and neglect is proven by the resurgence of these arts today.
Image by Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
4/11
When push comes to shoveBesides its punctuality, Tokyo&rsquos railway network is known for employing professional pushers called oshiyas who shove as many office-goers as possible into trains during rush hour. According to studies, by 2030, nearly half of these Japanese office-goers will have to reskill and find new jobs due to automation.
Image by Gerhard Joren/LightRocket via Getty Images
5/11
Food for thoughtVisitors check out the latest feats of automation at the FOOMA Japan International Food Machinery and Technology Exhibition in Tokyo. The machinery shown here performs delicate tasks like laying a meal box. Japan&rsquos competitive labour force and high capital costs have led the food industry to embrace advanced automation technologies, upending its reverence for fastidio
Image by Alessandro Di Ciommo/NurPhoto via Getty Images
6/11
Wheels of changeA Deliveroo rider cycles through central London to make a food delivery. Millions of part-time and flexible workers in the so-called gig economy in England are to receive rights like sick and holiday pay under a new government reform. Prime Minister Theresa May has promised an overhaul of employment rights.
Image by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
7/11
Sound of music Nobody knows the vagaries of the gig economy better than musicians on the make. The New Delhi-based alternative acoustic rock band Menwhopause, for instance, weathered a lot, adamantly playing original compositions and were instrumental in shaping the indie music scene in India.
Image by Forbes
8/11
Foreign touchFreelance Steadicam operator Mike Scott shoots a scene with actors Ihana Dhil- lon and Gurmeet Choudhary for the Bollywood film Hate Story IV on Millennium Bridge in London. Bollywood has seen a spate of foreign technicians enhancing the finish of movies. Labour market dynamics and matching skills to locations will lead to increasing relocation of talent in the future.
Image by Robert Alexander/Getty Images
9/11
Agrarian woes Ethnic Miao villagers take part in a ploughing competition in the field to greet &lsquoLi Xia&rsquo, the beginning of summer in Guangxi province, China. Millions of Chinese have migrated from farms to cities, leading to labour shortages in rural areas. Many farmers work in small plots and have a limited ability to invest in farm machinery and new seed varieties. The transiti
Image by Reuters
10/11
A new way of lifeAugie Fairchild and River Oneida weed onions in a garden at the 450-acre Twin Oaks Community in Virginia, US. Members of this self-reliant community share everything from housing, clothes and cars to child care. They are already out of the &lsquojob&rsquo system.
Image by Norm Shafer/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images
