Rather than jobs falling to automation, people are more concerned that poor management of their company will lead to their unemployment, or that someone - from from here or overseas - will do their job for less money. Retail workers are most concerned about being undercut.
Poor management was seen as the greatest threat to job security with 43% saying they were very or somewhat concerned.
The most acute concern was over people coming from overseas to take their jobs for less money, with 15% saying they were very concerned.
Retail workers are the most worried that they will be replaced by workers from within Australia willing to work for lower pay, with 1 in 3 very concerned.
Around 55% are not concerned at all that they’ll be replaced by machines or computer programs.
The problem that concerned most people surveyed is that the company they work for is poorly managed. 14.7 per cent are very concerned and 27%, more than one in four, are somewhat concerned.
It is by some margin the greatest area of concern for the most people. The next highest with similar numbers who are strongly and somewhat concerned were the prospect their employer finds someone in Australia willing to do the job for less pay, and that their overall industry is shrinking.
The oft-reported fear of being replaced by a machine is not something that appears to concern many people. In fact, the fewest people were concerned about that, with more than 80 per cent unconcerned by the prospect of being replaced by a machine or computer program. People were only slightly more concerned they couldn't keep up with the technical skills needed to do their job.
Women were slightly more worried than men about automation but this was the only real difference between the genders. There was no major difference by age. People born in non-English speaking countries were most worried about not being able to keep up their technical skills, while those who didn't complete Year 12 were most concerned someone would undercut them on pay.
There were real differences between different types of workplaces.
Retail workers feel the most exposed to threats to their employment. They have the strongest concern their job may be at risk by the employer finding someone in either Australia or overseas who is willing to do the job for less money. But those in the Accomodation and Food Services industries, while not as strongly concerned, had the greatest level of worry overall with 47 per cent either very or somewhat concerned.
Those working in Education & Training, and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industries have low levels of overall concern.
Professional, scientific and public administration workers are the least concerned about being undercut by someone in Australia who would do the job for less money.
When it comes to being replaced by a machine, no one in the mining industry - which already has a high level of automation - is very concerned by the prospect and only a small proportion have any concern about it. The most who are very concerned, again, come from the Retail trade, while the most widespread concern (including those somewhat concerned) come from Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing industries and Financial & Insurance services