Technologies are inevitably changing the global labor market and will wipe out certain professions. Global trends and technological development will also change Lithuania’s labor map, which may result in a shorter working week, Nerijus Maciulis, an economist with Swedbank Lithuania, forecasts. “Considering the current technological progress, the effects of robotization and digitalization on many sectors, the economists and engineers forecast once again that many sectors won’t need workers,” he said in an interview to DELFI. In his view, the working week should become shorter in Europe, including Lithuania, in the future. One of the biggest challenges would be what to do with thousands of jobless people whose skills would no longer be suitable for the labor market. “It’s interesting how the Lithuanian and global politicians will respond to this challenge. Will they create artificial jobs to avoid social unrest or will they take another decision? For example, to shorten the working week?” the economist said. The sectors least vulnerable to technological development include medicine, IT, arts, legal services, education and entertainment.
