The State of the State report suggests that over 850,000 public sector jobs could be lost to automation by the end of the next decade.

The research, conducted by Deloitte and the University of Oxford, insinuates a side effect of automation could be a reduction in the taxpayer funded wage bill by as much as £17bn.

The report even breaks down which sectors would be most affected. It is predicted that just 4,000 local government administrative positions will remain in 2030. This prediction is based on the fact that these types of roles already seem to be diminishing. Additionally, over half of care workers and home care jobs are predicted to disappear over the course of the 15 years leading up to 2030.

The report also outlines what will replace all of these workers. It is predicted that robots will replace people in data input roles, since robotic process automation already provides a software alternative. In the analysis, the report found that this level of predicted automation could significantly reduce costs and boost productivity.

The report does make the point that automation will not replace human beings completely or overnight. This type of impact to the workforce is something that will be gradual, but social and political resistance should be expected along the way. The report also claims that while automation displaces certain jobs, new and higher skilled and better-paying jobs could be created as a result.