Wages are flatlining around the world - is automation to blame?

• Author: Charlton, Emma

Byline: Emma Charlton

Fast-paced technological developments like automation are becoming an everyday reality, transforming the workplace.

And a new report from recruitment firm Hays highlights how automation is not just putting jobs at risk, but also keeping a lid on salaries.

The stagnation in global wage growth is partly attributable to an uptick in technology adoption, Hays says, citing an academic report that found one extra robot per 1,000 workers could lower wages by as much as 5%.

And that pressure is likely to continue, the report argues, as more robots are installed around the world in the coming years.

Many of these themes are explored in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2018, including the notion that governments should help people prepare for the workplace of tomorrow by ensuring they have the right qualifications.

The Forum has called for more "reskilling and upskilling", saying "human skills" like creativity and critical thinking will become just as important as technological ones.

"If we don't seek to address these issues in the near future, we risk further discouraging workers by failing to increase wages, provide full employment and account for technological progress in the workplace," says Hays Chief Executive Alistair Cox.

"The skills and wage crises are ultimately linked, and...