Study reveals how many people in Cambridge are at risk of losing their job to a machine
Centre for Cities report shows Cambridge is still the UK's most innovative city.
Cambridge continues to be the most innovative city in the UK, according to a report by thinktank Centre for Cities.
The report confirms that Cambridge is also the city with the highest proportion of highly educated residents, and the lowest youth unemployment rate.
The focus of the report shows the threat automation has on jobs. Cambridge is named second in the rankings of cities that will lose the fewest jobs, with Oxford losing the least. The study states that 12.9 per cent of jobs in Cambridge would come under threat.
Sales assistants, retail cashiers and administrators are the jobs most at risk.
It also states that Cambridge is ranked third worst for housing affordability.
Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of Cambridge City Council, said: “This report offers further evidence that Cambridge is a high performing city. It is particularly good news that innovative Cambridge researchers and businesses are expected to create more skilled jobs in the area in coming years.
“Our status as a highly skilled, innovative city with flourishing businesses is great news for local people as well as the local, regional and national economy. The city’s strengths in the industries of the future will stand Cambridge in good stead.
“All of this success, as welcome as it is, presents wider challenges, not least in ensuring that prosperity is shared widely and is sustainable. Cambridge is still ranked as ‘the most unequal city in the UK’, and has seen a drop in real wages over the last year.
“There are immediate economic challenges facing Cambridge including free trade and free movement of people between Cambridge and Europe, which could be unavoidably damaged by whatever happens on Brexit.
“It is clear from listening to local businesses large and small that they already face major challenges in recruiting the people they need. While that may sound good news it shows how singularly dependent Cambridge is on continuing to attract and retain skilled staff in their hundreds as well as training up our own people.”
Cllr Herbert added: “The council will also continue to invest in sharing prosperity and will work with our partners in the business and academic communities, through the Greater Cambridge Partnership and the Combined Authority, to do all we can to address challenges including congestion and a severe housing affordability and cost of living crisis.”
