Millions of jobs aren’t coming back after the pandemic ends, spurring a need for retraining

February 17, 2021 ☼ economyremote-workproductivityautomation

Source: The Washington Post - Link

Millions of jobs that have been shortchanged or wiped out entirely by the coronavirus pandemic are unlikely to come back, economists warn, setting up a massive need for career changes and retraining in the United States.

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered permanent shifts in how and where people work. Businesses are planning for a future where more people are working from home, traveling less for business, or replacing workers with robots. All of these modifications mean many workers will not be able to do the same job they did before the pandemic, even after much of the U.S. population gets vaccinated against the deadly virus.

I’ve been saying this for months. The restructuring that was underway was accelerated by the pandemic. There will be many good paying jobs in healthcare and skilled services for a few more years. Eventually many of those will disappear with advanced robotics and AI. Trades will still be in demand.