Beware the robots coming to take Mansfield and Ashfield jobs!

The Centre For Cities organisation estimates that, by the year 2030, the district could have had more than a quarter of its jobs taken over by what is known as automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

Mansfield and Ashfield is named as one of the areas most at risk because it has “a lower share of high-skilled jobs”. Roles in shops, administration and warehouses were in the greatest jeopardy.

Andrew Carter, the boss of Centre For Cities, said: “Automation will bring huge opportunities, but there is also a real risk that many people and places will lose out.”

However, the claims were played down by Russell Jones, chairman of the Mansfield and Ashfield 2020 business group, who said: “Jobs being automated has been happening in Mansfield for 20 years. That is why we have been building an economy based on high-skilled jobs. Our future will be different to the picture portrayed in this report.”