New technology and employment in Mexico

Since the turn of the 21st century the advent of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, has deeply transformed a number of economic activities. As a result, millions of workers are facing the risk of being displaced by intelligent machines as automation gathers pace. The threat stems from the current worldwide occupational structure of industry and services which demands a dynamic transition toward upskilling. This situation has been more visible in manufacturing than in services, where production tends to rely on the capabilities of high skilled workers. For services, white collar jobs, which used to be considered immune to technological changes, are now facing the gradual introduction of digitalization, automation and remote communication technologies. The kind of jobs more at risk are those characterized for routine-based tasks such as office duties. Clearly, the trend is affecting industrialized economies and developing nations alike. In this chapter, we focus on examining the impact of the new technologies on office employment in Mexico. In so doing, we pose the following question: To what extent is technological change affecting clerical jobs in Mexico? Drawing on a recent research on the evolution of job offers published by a leading Mexican newspaper on a monthly basis for four types of jobs (data entry keyers, computer systems analysts, messengers, and stenographers), we were able to identify how traditional office workers have been losing ground. We conclude that office jobs are no longer defined by traditional skills but by multitasks abilities, mainly driven by IT capabilities.