Advances in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital technologies are changing the way we work, the activities we perform, and the skills we need to succeed. Catching this rapid transformation wave is of the utmost importance to ensure sustainable growth.
Over the past decade, McKinsey has looked deeply at the future of work to understand the dynamics. And the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has studied the effects of automation on workforces and skills since 2015, describing options that could help stakeholders benefit from potential changes in business models.
MGI considers the adoption of digital technologies the most important factor in future economic growth. Research shows that adoption of digital technologies will account for about 60 percent of the potential productivity increase by 2030. This holds true for Turkey: automation, AI, and digital technologies have the potential to boost the country’s economy, so it is critically important to understand the opportunities and challenges regarding the future of work and to prepare the Turkish workforce for the upcoming transformation.
A new report, Future of work: Turkey’s talent transformation in the digital era, dives deeper on the issues. It examines the impact of productivity growth driven by automation, AI, and digital technologies on different sectors and occupations. It also addresses the opportunities that will emerge to transform Turkey’s talent marketplace and the challenges that the country must overcome, supported by a fact base that will help stakeholders prioritize efforts to adapt the workplace to this new world. We hope that this report will shed light on the benefits that automation and increased productivity will bring to Turkey by 2030.
On a global scale, current technologies have the potential to help automate 50 percent of jobs. In Turkey, with the current technologies, six out of ten occupations could be automated by 30 percent. The analyses in this report are based on a scenario in which average levels of automation in Turkey are 20 to 25 percent by 2030.
The report foresees that in the next decade, automation, AI, and digital technologies, along with complementary investments, have the potential to create 3.1 million net new jobs, considering the economic impact and societal changes the technology will bring (exhibit). By 2030, with the impact of automation and digitization, 7.6 million jobs could disappear and 8.9 million new jobs could emerge, a net gain of 1.3 million jobs. In addition, 1.8 million new jobs could be created, many of them in technology-related sectors. To enable this change, 21.1 million people in the Turkish workforce will need to improve their skills by leveraging technology while remaining employed in their current jobs. Automation and digitization are expected to affect 7.6 million employees through significant reskilling and job displacements. In addition, 7.7 million new employees who will join the workforce will need to be equipped with the latest skills required.
To ensure the success of Turkey’s talent transformation, a common focal point and collective, concerted action is necessary. It is critical that all stakeholders, including businesses, associations, public institutions, educational institutions, and individuals, take the required actions.
Download Future of work: Turkey’s talent transformation in the digital era, the full report on which this article is based (PDF–2.5MB).
