Employers need to adapt to a rapidly changing workplace as the coming years are expected to see new jobs rise and old ones disappear, Ahmad Waarie writes for Forbes Middle East. It is estimated that 65% of today’s primary school students will grow up to take jobs in roles that do not exist yet, while 5% of employees will see 100% of their day-to-day tasks automated, he says. Jobs carried out by humans in EMEA stood at 91% three years ago, dropping to 85% today, and expected to reach 75% in another three years.

The full-time worker model is also changing slowly, with 24% of Middle Eastern employers expecting a rise in contingent workers over the next few years. “Employers have to help workers upskill before it is too late, while also shifting the types of jobs on offer—adapting some roles to be carried out by workers with low skill sets, while redesigning others to satisfy those with wider skill sets,” says Waarie. Other expected changes in the Middle East include a rising number of women entering the workforce and a growing demand for gender equality. “Between 2006 and 2016 the number of women in work more than doubled from 20% to 48%.”