Job security in the age of artificial intelligence and potential pandemics

Recent advances in artificial intelligence and robotics have led to a higher risk of job loss or job transformation among certain groups of workers. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that workers whose job can be done from home, involves sufficient physical distancing, or is deemed essential by authorities enjoy greater job security than other workers during a lockdown. In light of these two developments, it is important to identify which groups of Canadian workers might enjoy the highest or lowest level of job security in upcoming years. To do so, this study develops a forward-looking measure of job security by estimating the proportion of Canadian employees who hold ‘triple-protected’ jobs, or jobs that (a) have no predetermined end date; (b) have a low risk of being lost or transformed due to automation; and (c) are resilient to pandemics.