regional chamber of commerce
BUSINESS INSIDER P r o m o t i n g a n d e n h a n c in g b u s i n e s s w i t h i n t h e C e r r i t o s a re a
Volume XIV, Issue IX
April 2017
Will You be Replaced by a Robot? It wasn’t that long ago that robots existed only in the world of science fiction. Today, you can find robots performing surgery, assembling cars, and even serving you coffee. It’s true, robots are now replacing human workers in a wide variety of jobs. In fact, a recent article noted that 51 percent of current job activities could be performed by machines. Does that mean jobs could be taken over by machines? Yes and no. You may think that most of the jobs shifted to automation would be of the less-skilled variety. Wrong! Robots will be replacing white-collar jobs as well. Added up, this could mean nearly $3 trillion in wages. So, which jobs are more likely to end up automated? A 2016 report by McKinsey & Company claims that jobs with “predictable physical work” are more likely to be replaced than those that are more unpredictable in nature. What’s “predictable physical work”? McKinsey gives examples of welding, assembling, or packaging. Unpredictable work consists of construction, forestry, and raising animals.
State of the District Luncheon
Chamber and community leaders were given an overview of the ABCUSD by Supt. Dr. Sieu and the District’s executive team. Pictured here: Councilmember Jim Edwards, School Board Member Maynard Law, School Board Member Olympia Chen, School Board President Chris Apodaca, Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu, Mayor George Ray, Mayor Pro Tem Naresh Solanki, and School Board Vice President Soo Yoo More on Page 8
Believe it or not, the manufacturing sector doesn’t hold the top spot when considering automation. That spot belongs to the service industry. The food industry is particularly “ripe” for automation where about half of labor time is predictable physical work. The retail sector may also see automation in areas like logistics, stock management, and packaging. Both the food and retail industries are seeing some level of automation with the advent of the self-checkout lanes. However, some retailers have been reluctant to move forward with self-checkout or have eliminated them altogether.
Business Conference
Data collection and processing is a prime example of where automation could save countless hours. McKinsey points out this type of activity could affect the financial services and insurance industries, where about 50 percent of the current workforce’s time is spent on collecting and processing data.
Fiesta on the Fairways Golf Classic
Areas that are least likely to see automation are those that involved decision-making, planning, or creativity. The health
Los Coyotes Country Club - Buena Park
“Disaster Preparedness” Thursday, April 6, 2017 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts 12700 Center Court Drive - Cerritos
Let’s Do Lunch!
“Lucile's Smokehouse BBQ ” Wednesday, April 19, 2017 11:30 am - 1:00 pm 11338 South Street - Cerritos
Monday, May 1, 2017 12:00 pm Shot-gun start
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Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce · 13259 E. South Street · Cerritos, CA 90703 phone: (562) 467-0800 · fax: (562) 467-0840 · chamber@cerritos.org · www.cerritos.org