In the current age of tech-savvy adults and the recent automation takeover, administrative assistant roles are rapidly declining.
Key Details
- From 2000 to 2021, the number of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants plummeted 63% to 508,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- BLS expects numbers to decline another 20% by 2031.
- From 2016 to 2021, more than 2 million office and administrative support occupations jobs were eliminated, according to The Conference Board.
Why it’s news
Many of these jobs have been eliminated as automation rises, and programs like ChatGPT can book appointments and craft emails for professionals taking assistant jobs.
Assistant roles have rapidly decreased as automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have begun taking over worldwide. Many assistants help executives and other employees book appointments, draft emails, and keep organized overall, but now numerous programs can do that.
AI bots have become very advanced in the last few years, acing extremely hard tests, writing multiple-page papers, answering questions, and much more, allowing many workplaces to begin using the bots and phasing out other jobs.
With the rise of inflation, many workplaces have had to start making cutbacks. With automated robots able to complete the same tasks that most assistants do, employers are opting to eliminate the assistant role and use an automated bot to do the work instead.
Another reason for the decreased need for assistants is that more executives are tech-savvy. Years ago, before the internet and technology were extremely popular, many assistants did all the detail work for executives, including keeping their calendars, drafting emails, and completing other computer work, but now most executives grew up digitally savvy and do not need assistants to do their computer work for them.
In the last few years, assistants have been seen more as a status symbol than an actual need for an office. High-up executives could do all of the needed digital work, but having an assistant do everything for them helped boost their image.
AI Job Cuts
Assistant roles aren’t the only job taken over by artificial intelligence and automation.
Automated window washing machines are being used in multiple big cities to create a safer alternative to human window washers. The machines have replaced the typical window washer for skyscrapers, allowing for a cheaper, safer option.
Security guards are also being phased out as robots with sensors, and artificial intelligence provides security and site checks in office buildings and other locations.
Robots that are five feet tall and move at three miles per hour are taking security jobs as the robots never get tired, can work overnight, and are cheaper. Using a robot guard rather than a human can save a company $79,000 per year, according to a recent report by Forrester Research.
