What Will Jobs Be Like in the Future?

What You'll Learn

• A job is work people do to help others and earn money
• Technology changes what jobs exist — new inventions create new jobs
• Some future jobs might be: robot designer, space farmer, climate helper, and virtual world builder
• Some jobs stay the same because people need human helpers (teachers, doctors, artists)
• Robots and AI can do repetitive tasks, but creative and caring jobs need humans
• The most important skill for the future is being a good learner who can adapt

Words to Know

Job

Work a person does to help others and earn money

"A teacher's job is to help kids learn."

Technology

Tools and machines that help people do things

"Tractors and computers are both technology."

Robot

A machine that can do tasks, sometimes by itself

"Some robots build cars in factories."

Career

The kind of work a person does over many years

"My career is being a scientist."

Adapt

To change and learn new things when the world changes

"When cars were invented, horse drivers had to adapt."

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• A job is work people do to help others and earn money

  Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics / general reference

• Technology changes what jobs exist — the invention of cars created jobs like mechanic and truck driver

  Source: BLS / economic history

• NASA has successfully grown lettuce, radishes, and flowers on the International Space Station

  Source: NASA

• The World Economic Forum estimates that 65% of children entering primary school today will work in jobs that don't exist yet

  Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report

• Robots and AI are best at repetitive, predictable tasks — not creative or caring work

  Source: WEF / AI research

• Jobs that involve human care (teachers, nurses, therapists) and human creativity (artists, writers, musicians) are least likely to be replaced by machines

  Source: Oxford University study on automation