Three Yorkshire cities have been named as places in the UK that are likely to see the most job losses due to automation.

The Cities Outlook 2018 report (from Centre for Cities) puts Wakefield, Doncaster and Huddersfield in the ‘top 10’ of places to be affected by automation and globalisation over the coming decades.

It says that 20% of the jobs in British cities are likely to be displaced by 2030, with retail positions, customer service roles and warehouse jobs among those most at threat.

The risk is not spread evenly across the country, with around 18% of city jobs under threat in the South, compared to 23% in cities elsewhere.

Andrew Carter, the Centre for Cities chief executive, said: “Automation and globalisation will bring huge opportunities to increase prosperity and jobs, but there is also a real risk that many people and places will lose out.

"The time to act is now; national and local leaders need to ensure that people in cities across the North and the Midlands can share in the benefits that these changes could offer.

“That means reforming the education system to give young people the skills they need to thrive in the future, and improving school standards— especially in places where jobs are most at risk.

"We also need greater investment in lifelong learning and technical education to help adults adapt to the changing labour market, plus better retraining for people who lose their jobs because of these changes.”