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These are the 20 jobs most likely to be taken over by robots

Is yours one of them?

MACHINES ARE ONLY getting smarter and more efficient.

So much so that they’re starting to take over both blue-collar and white-collar jobs.

NPR recently posted a guide created by researchers that predicts the chance of our jobs being automated within the next 20 years.

To make their projections, the experts scored jobs across 21 fields on nine possible traits, the four most important being: cleverness, negotiation, helping others, and squeezing into small spaces.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers appear to be in the clear, with a 0.3% chance of being automated.

Telemarketers, umpires, cashiers, and several other jobs that are already being replaced by robots, have reason to worry, however. You can interact with the full guide here.

While the researchers admitted that these percentages are rough, the data offers insights into what the future may look like.

20. Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers

Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers have a 95.1% chance of being automated.

Robots are becoming critical to the production process of electronics because of their precision and accuracy. They are being used to do things such as: load solar wafers into solar cells, place LED light bulbs, and inspect circuit boards, as reported by the Robotics Industries Association.

19. Postal service workers

90300304 Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Postal service workers have a 95.4% chance of being automated.

Postal sorters, clerks, and postal workers are being hit hard by automation. Not only are robots able to do tasks such as sort post, but snail mail is also becoming more and more obsolete with the increasing digitization of communications.

18. Jewellers and precious stone and metal workers

Jewellers and precious stone and metal workers have a 95.5% chance of being automated.

The Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts their employment to decline 10% between now and 2022 as robots begin assisting in the manufacturing and repairing of jewellery.

 17. Restaurant cooks

shutterstock_139152911 Shutterstock / gyn9037 Shutterstock / gyn9037 / gyn9037

Restaurant cooks have a 96.3% chance of being automated.

A noodle-slicing robot named Foxbot can be found at Dazzling Noodles, an open-kitchen restaurant chain in North China’s Shanxi province.

There’s another robot chef making crab bisque from scratch, thanks to 20 motors, 24 joints, and 129 sensors. The robot, designed by Moley Robotics, can complete the complicated dish in 30 minutes and even plates it.

16. Grinding and polishing workers

Workers who grind and polish materials have a 97% chance of being automated.

Robots are increasingly able to grind or polish a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, and glass objects.

15. Cashiers

shutterstock_246838300 Shutterstock / Brian A Jackson Shutterstock / Brian A Jackson / Brian A Jackson

Cashiers have a 97.1% chance of being automated.

Panera Bread announced that it will have replaced all of its cashiers with kiosks by 2016, according to a USA Today article.

Additionally, self-checkout machines are continuing to spring up in grocery stores around the world.

14. Bookkeepers

Bookkeepers have a 97.6% chance of being automated.

The Wall Street Journal reported that big companies such as Pilot Travel, Verizon, and GameStop, among others, are using software to automate corporate bookkeeping tasks.

These companies now only need about 10 clerks to pay suppliers, as opposed to the 80 or so they would need without the robot bookkeepers.

13. Legal secretaries

Legal secretaries have a 97.6% chance of being automated.

Secretaries are disappearing from the job market now that technology allows bosses to field calls and arrange meetings themselves.

12. Fashion models

Mideast Lebanon Fashion Week Associated Press Associated Press

Surprisingly, fashion models have a 97.6% chance of being automated.

In addition to “taking over” fashion model jobs, robots are performing in other surprising ways, such as acting. Engineered Arts, a British company, has created a fully interactive and multilingual robot called the RoboThespian, which can hold eye contact, guess a person’s mood and age, and break into song.

11. Drivers

Drivers have a 97.8% chance of being automated.

Drivers and chauffeurs won’t be needed for much longer. Google’s self-driving test cars have driven thousands of miles without human intervention.

Also, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick loves the idea of autonomous vehicles and announced that Uber will eventually be replacing all of its drivers with cars that drive themselves.

10. Credit analysts

Credit analysts have a 97.9% chance of being automated.

Automating the process of analyzing credit data and financial statements, and preparing reports with credit information, could result in a lower degree of risk.

9. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders

shutterstock_187681595 Shutterstock / Dmitry Kalinovsky Shutterstock / Dmitry Kalinovsky / Dmitry Kalinovsky

Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders have a 97.9% chance of being automated.

Setting up, operating, or tending milling or planing machines are tasks that are increasingly being delegated to machines.

8. Packaging and filling-machine operators and tenders

Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders have a 98% chance of being automated.

Using robots to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment is becoming more and more prevalent.

Amazon now uses an army of robots — each 320 pounds and 16 inches tall — to bring shelves of goods out of storage in order to be shipped, reported Time.

7. Procurement clerks

Procurement clerks have a 98% chance of being automated.

It is now very simple for machines to place orders with suppliers for materials and services. Also, ordering over the internet — or “e-procurement” — will result in a decline of these jobs.

6. Umpires and referees

officialgaa / YouTube

Umpires and referees have a 98.3% chance of being automated

In sports like hurling and tennis, a computerized system called Hawk Eye is already being used to help make close line calls or whether the sliotar when between the posts.

Hawk Eye represents just one system being used to solve disputes in sports.

5. Tellers

Tellers have a 98.3% chance of being automated.

Chances are you haven’t used a human bank teller in a while. ATMs can provide most of the services that tellers offer.

4. Loan officers

Loan officers have a 98.4% chance of being automated.

Bloomberg article reported that inroads are already being made at Daric Inc, an online peer-to-peer lender. The company has replaced all loan officers with an algorithm that identifies safe borrowers.

3. Timing-device assemblers and adjusters

Timing device assemblers and adjusters have a 98.5% chance of being automated.

Machines are now able to perform the precise assembling, adjusting, or calibrating that timing device assemblers specialize in.

2. Tax preparers

Tax preparers have a 98.7% chance of being automated.

Automating the process of preparing tax returns could result in much fewer errors, and the technology, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), already exists.

1. Telemarketers

Old Ericsson Phone Alexandre Dulaunoy Alexandre Dulaunoy

Telemarketers have a 99% chance of being automated.

Many of today’s cold-callers are not human. Robots can not only perform the job 24/7, but they can also maintain energy and perkiness no matter how many rude consumers they interact with.

- Kathleen Elkins

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:54 PM

    Once again FG caught lying through their teeth..any comment Leo???????

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    Mute Declan McDermott
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:09 PM

    He said it was to the best of his knowledge that is NOT making a solid claim, he is saying he could be wrong what’s the big deal????

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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:17 PM

    @Declan McDermott: you would have thought he would know something like this before he goes on the national airwaves and makes a t#t of himself.

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    Mute lavbeer
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:43 PM

    But he put it out as truth Declan. Look at our newspapers almost on a daily basis put their view out as truth. All part of the game.

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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:51 PM

    Factcheck. Government ministers knowledge is not not knowing anything, when they should.

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    Mute Seán Marlow
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    Sep 21st 2016, 11:01 PM

    @Declan McDermott: What’s wrong is that Leo is was lying. Perhaps not a big deal in FG, eh?

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    Mute Stephen Brady
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 6:42 AM

    Declan “to the best of my knowledge” and “as far as I know” are Leo’s stock in trade. He is a prize bullshit merchant who always covers his arse.

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 1:23 PM

    @ Declan..the big deal is that FG are constantly covering their asses by spinning out lies and untruths. Do you not think it might have been worth Leo’s time to check that fact out?

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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:07 PM

    Excuse my language but these guys boil my blood.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:15 PM

    @Joe Butler:

    Tone it the funk down, Joe.

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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:24 PM

    Naa

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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:28 PM

    Maa lol

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:27 PM

    Claim: A government minister has never gone before the PAC
    Verdict: Leo is talking Bollix.

    Fixed that for you Journal :-)

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    Mute Boganity
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    Sep 21st 2016, 11:14 PM

    Another Fact (only in Ireland): in every other Westminster democracy in the world EVERY minister appears before the PAC EVERY year as part of the budget process.

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    Mute Methinks
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 7:17 AM

    Except they do appear before the committees dealing with their departmental area.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 9:51 AM

    ah yes the Irish solution, water down the Westminster system with a bast*rdised committee system: the departmental committee, the committee you have when have when you’re not having a committee

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    Mute Lar Cooney
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:55 PM

    Grandad pampers and a couple carers to clean him up for the day make sure the aul eye isnt wondering he hasnt been able to look at anyone straight in eye since the his banking bonds matured he will play a blinder, a man of his withered words, doesnt give a donkeys ball bag

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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:20 PM

    You’d have thought leo would know his facts or check stuff before he opens his mouth. Is that too much to ask considering noonan and the PAC was all talk last week

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    Mute David Wall
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:05 PM

    Leo spoofing, well I never!

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:44 PM

    Is this the face that launched a thousand ships?

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:57 PM

     Sweet Michael , make me immortal with a kiss….

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    Mute Willy
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:54 PM

    Strange for Leo to Fib …

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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:03 PM

    AND Leo has been doing so much arse licking he talks shite.

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    Mute Snowball
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:01 PM

    So sick of these old farts dictating to the majority of younger people and robbing us blind while they do it. Corrupt to the core and rotten out, just go already. No one believes anything you say anymore, just go away.

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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Sep 21st 2016, 10:18 PM

    Nothing new about Leo talking out his arse

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    Mute Rory
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 9:05 AM

    Leo would talk about anything except his own department to get into the news. FG deserve him, he is the Joan Briton of the FG party.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:56 PM

    Just let him f**kin retire. He will only ever be answerable posthumously anyway.

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    Mute Sam Palmer
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:30 PM

    To be honest I doubt of this guy is even gay.

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:35 PM

    Who’d have him ?.. Luckily he’s so in love with himself he’ll never be lonely.

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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:58 PM

    About time too.

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    Mute Seymour business
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    Sep 21st 2016, 8:55 PM

    Good one

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Sep 21st 2016, 10:23 PM

    Leo knows very little about anything,TRUE.

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    Mute Cormac Laffan
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:49 PM

    Leo meant a Minister as important as Master Michael no doubt.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Sep 21st 2016, 10:41 PM

    They can ask him about Irelands broken tax system while he’s up there too!

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    Mute Richie Rice
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    Sep 21st 2016, 10:29 PM

    Politics aside I’m no fan of Michael Noonan, but by God the Man needs to look after His health as He does not look well.

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    Mute John R
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    Sep 21st 2016, 9:07 PM

    There’s a very good reason why so few Ministers appear. The PAC is a body largely designed to hold accounting officers in Govt Departments and related bodies to account for spending. These people are mainly secretary generals or their equivalent as well as those officials who took major spending decisions. In other words not politicians. Nothing magical about this.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 4:51 AM

    A ideal candidate for a Fg leader

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    Mute Upowthat Burke
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    Sep 22nd 2016, 11:29 AM

    Punjab Leo talking crap AGAIN

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