三分之二的零售業(yè)員工認(rèn)為技術(shù)終將取代自己的部分工作職責(zé),，這說(shuō)明人們?cè)絹?lái)越擔(dān)心自動(dòng)化和先進(jìn)技術(shù)會(huì)對(duì)職場(chǎng)產(chǎn)生不利影響,。

這是“公平工作周倡議”（The Fair Workweek Initiative）發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)新調(diào)查結(jié)果，該項(xiàng)目由非營(yíng)利性勞動(dòng)監(jiān)督組織公眾民主中心（The Center for Popular Democracy）和聯(lián)合尊重組織（Organization United for Respect）共同發(fā)起,。

上述報(bào)告主要研究美國(guó)零售業(yè)員工如何看待日常工作中越來(lái)越多使用技術(shù)的現(xiàn)狀,。簡(jiǎn)而言之，他們認(rèn)為這個(gè)問(wèn)題值得擔(dān)心,，但同時(shí)也是一個(gè)潛在的機(jī)會(huì),。

世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇（World Economic Forum）及其他組織已經(jīng)預(yù)測(cè),，機(jī)器學(xué)習(xí)等技術(shù)創(chuàng)新將顯著改變勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)，可能會(huì)在創(chuàng)造新工作崗位的同時(shí)造成大范圍失業(yè),。零售業(yè)尤其可能產(chǎn)生重大變革,，在線零售巨頭亞馬遜（Amazon）正在領(lǐng)導(dǎo)變革，他們已經(jīng)增加了新技術(shù)的開(kāi)支來(lái)降低成本,。

零售業(yè)已經(jīng)使用的先進(jìn)技術(shù)包括：自助結(jié)賬臺(tái),、商店中供顧客查詢(xún)信息的電腦顯示器、早期在有限范圍內(nèi)引入機(jī)器人搬運(yùn)箱子或處理類(lèi)似工作,，這些都只是其中的一部分,。有些技術(shù)已經(jīng)在改變零售業(yè)員工的工作方式。

公平工作周倡議的主管凱莉·格利森表示,，上述調(diào)查顯示零售業(yè)員工總體“對(duì)技術(shù)持樂(lè)觀態(tài)度”,。例如，62％的受訪者認(rèn)同新技術(shù)會(huì)創(chuàng)造新就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)的說(shuō)法,。

格里森舉了個(gè)例子,，比如亞馬遜可以將旗下的全食超市（Whole Foods）作為配送中心。這樣就可以創(chuàng)造一種全新的崗位——為亞馬遜物流部門(mén)工作的門(mén)店店員,，他們可以對(duì)客戶(hù)訂單進(jìn)行貨物和包裹分揀,。

此外，格里森表示,，隨著順風(fēng)車(chē)服務(wù)供應(yīng)商Lyft等應(yīng)用程序的興起,，人們有望再打一份工，如果他們的主職工作報(bào)酬不夠,，可以用這種方式補(bǔ)貼收入,。

盡管如此，仍有66%的受訪者認(rèn)為技術(shù)最終會(huì)取代自己的一些崗位職責(zé),。此外,，57%的受訪者表示新技術(shù)會(huì)對(duì)其工作質(zhì)量產(chǎn)生負(fù)面影響，例如降低工資,、工時(shí),、福利等。

該調(diào)查共收到來(lái)自于汽車(chē),、電子商務(wù),、雜貨和服裝等各行各業(yè)大公司1100名零售員工的回復(fù)。上述受訪對(duì)象可以說(shuō)代表了全國(guó)零售業(yè)的勞動(dòng)力大軍,。

雖然技術(shù)可以把員工從他們不喜歡的一些日常任務(wù)中解放出來(lái),，但最終也可能“以一種沒(méi)有人想得到的方式壓榨工人”，格里森說(shuō),。

例如,，自助結(jié)賬臺(tái)取代了一些收銀員的崗位,。然而，公司仍必須指定專(zhuān)人看管機(jī)器來(lái)幫助有問(wèn)題的顧客,、解決機(jī)器故障,、防止顧客逃單。

南卡羅來(lái)納州北查爾斯頓的沃爾瑪（Walmart）員工阿什利·華盛頓表示,，她的工作是管理多個(gè)自助結(jié)賬臺(tái),，這些結(jié)賬臺(tái)往往位于商店的不同區(qū)域，因此工作反而更難而不是更簡(jiǎn)單,。她希望商店能夠雇用更多的人來(lái)幫她看管機(jī)器,，這樣“工作才不會(huì)那么緊張，不那么讓人沮喪,?！?/p>

華盛頓表示，她的工作最終可能會(huì)被技術(shù)取代,，但她也說(shuō),，某些崗位仍然需要人工?！澳闳匀恍枰藖?lái)管理機(jī)器，因?yàn)闄C(jī)器總會(huì)出問(wèn)題,?！彼f(shuō)。

盡管科技對(duì)零售業(yè)產(chǎn)生了影響,，但63%的受訪者認(rèn)為自己現(xiàn)在的零售工作有生之年不會(huì)完全被科技取代,。研究結(jié)果表明，人們相信仍然有一些任務(wù)人工比機(jī)器更高效,。

不過(guò),，格里森表示，調(diào)查“發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些矛盾之處,?！?/p>

例如，78%的女性受訪者表示科技不會(huì)取代她們的工作,，相較而言,，男性受訪者的比例為50%。但根據(jù)該報(bào)告,，現(xiàn)實(shí)情況是,，零售業(yè)中最可能失業(yè)的就是女性，主要原因是73%的收銀員是女性,，“收銀員被認(rèn)為是最容易實(shí)現(xiàn)自動(dòng)化的崗位之一”,。

格里森說(shuō),，這可能是因?yàn)橛行┡哉J(rèn)為商店需要人工收銀員提供“高質(zhì)量的客戶(hù)服務(wù)”，客戶(hù)服務(wù)與情緒勞動(dòng)關(guān)系密切,，而社會(huì)普遍認(rèn)為情緒勞動(dòng)應(yīng)該由女性承擔(dān),。

但是，并非所有女性都相信自己的工作將免于被技術(shù)取代的命運(yùn),。佛羅里達(dá)州杰克遜維爾的沃爾瑪員工德莉瑪·洛維特的工作是對(duì)在線訂單進(jìn)行分揀,，交給到店取貨的顧客，她認(rèn)為技術(shù)將“不可避免地”取代某些工作,。她說(shuō),，自助結(jié)賬臺(tái)越來(lái)越多，還說(shuō)商店可能會(huì)使用機(jī)器人巡場(chǎng)甚至承擔(dān)清潔工作,。

如果讓她把職業(yè)生涯從頭來(lái)過(guò),，洛維特說(shuō)她“會(huì)去上學(xué)，做個(gè)技術(shù)人員”,。

“這是未來(lái)工作崗位的發(fā)展方向,。”（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：Agatha

Two out of three retail workers believe that technology will eventually replace some of their job responsibilities, underscoring the rising concern about the impact of automation and cutting-edge technology on the workplace.

That’s according to a new survey by The Fair Workweek Initiative, a project spawned from the non-profit labor-monitoring groups The Center for Popular Democracy and Organization United for Respect.

The report is intended to reveal how U.S. retail employees perceive the growing use of technology in their daily work-lives. In short, they see it as both a concern and potential opportunity.

Organizations like the World Economic Forum have forecast that innovations like machine learning will significantly alter the labor market, potentially leading to major job losses while creating new kinds of work. The retail sector is particularly prone to major disruption, led by online giant Amazon as it increases spending on new technology in an effort to cut costs.

Self-checkout kiosks, computer screens in stores that shoppers can use to look up information, and the early and limited adoption of robots to handle tasks like moving boxes are just some of what’s being adopted in retail. And some of those technologies are already changing how retail employees work.

Overall, the survey shows that retail workers are “optimistic about technology,” said Carrie Gleason, director of the Fair Workweek Initiative. For instance, 62% of the respondents agreed with that notion that new technologies would create new job opportunities.

As an example, Gleason pointed to Amazon potentially using its Whole Foods grocery stores as distribution centers. The practice can create a new kind of job—store clerks who can work for Amazon’s logistics division or who can pick groceries and bag orders that are then delivered to customers.

Additionally, Gleason says that the rise of apps like for ride-sharing service Lyft has made people more hopeful about being able to take on second jobs to supplement their income if their primary jobs don’t pay enough.

Still, 66% of the respondents believe that technology may eventually replace some of their job duties. Meanwhile, 57% said that new technology would have a negative impact on the quality of their jobs such as reducing their wages, hours, and benefits.

The survey is based on responses from 1,100 retail workers at major companies in industries as diverse as automotive, e-commerce, grocery, and clothing. The pool is described as representative of the country’s retail workforce as a whole.

Although technology may eliminate some mundane tasks that employees don’t like, it could also end up “squeezing workers in ways that nobody thought about,” Gleason said.

Self-checkout kiosks, for instance, have replaced some cashiers. However, companies must still assign human workers to the machines to help confused shoppers, troubleshoot glitches, and guard against shoppers walking out the door without paying.

Walmart worker Ashley Washington, of North Charleston, SC, said her job of overseeing multiple self-checkout stands—often placed at different areas in the stores—has made her working life more difficult rather than easier. She wishes that the store would hire more people to help her oversee the self-check machines so that “it won’t be so stressful and frustrating.”

Washington said technology may eventually take over her job, but she added that human workers would still be needed in some capacity. “You still need people to oversee the machines because something can always go wrong,” she said.

Despite tech’s impact on retail, 63% of respondents say that their current retail job won’t be fully replaced by technology during their lifetimes. The findings shows that people believe there are still tasks that humans can do more efficiently than machines.

Still, Gleason said the survey “found some contradictions.”

For instance, 78% of female respondents say tech won’t replace their jobs, compared to 50% of male respondents. But the reality, according to the report, is that women face the greatest potential for job loss in retail, primarily because 73% of cashiers are women and “cashiers are considered one of the easiest jobs to automate.”

Gleason said this could be because some women feel that stores need human cashiers for “high-quality customer service” and its relationship to emotional labor, which society often places on women.

But, not all women believe their jobs will be safe from technology. For Dreama Lovett, a Walmart employee in Jacksonville, Fla. who assembles and delivers online orders to customers visiting her Walmart store, “it’s inevitable” that tech will replace some jobs. She pointed to the rise of self-checkout kiosks and the possibility that stores would introduce robots to patrol aisles and potentially clean spills.

If she were to start her career over again, Lovett said that she “would go to school to be a technology person.”

“That’s where the jobs are going to be.”