Robots could take one in five jobs in the next 12 years

One in five jobs in British cities is likely to be displaced by 2030 because of automation and globalisation, a new report predicts. Retail, customer service and warehouse jobs are among those most at threat of being lost, said Centre for Cities. The think tank said struggling cities in the North and Midlands were more exposed to job losses than wealthier cities in the South, compounding the North/South divide. Cities including Mansfield, Sunderland and Wakefield could see two out of five jobs lost, while Oxford and Cambridge face losing 13%, the study found. The report said the changes would lead to jobs being created as well as lost, but in Northern and Midlands' cities they would largely be in low-skilled occupations.