E-GDP set to surge

China’s e-GDP, a monetized measurement of the digital economy, will grow to around $16 trillion by 2035, while about 415 million job opportunities will be created, according to a report released by the Boston Consulting Group.

It said the ecosystem of internet commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd would contribute to the creation of more than 100 million job opportunities, including new retail, service, logistics and cloud computing.

BCG said it foresees that low-skilled and repetitive tasks in offline stores would be replaced by high-tech equipment like touch screens, mobile apps or robots, while omni-channel sales staff would be highly valued by online and offline companies.

Meanwhile, the advent of data technology would give rise to a new manufacturing industry where the efficiency of workers was greatly enhanced by the increasing use of robotics. Thanks to the booming development of intelligent manufacturing in China, the report predicted a large number of new jobs would be created as a result.

The digital economy is restructuring the world and employment situation, say analysts. AliResearch, the research arm of Alibaba, declared that the world was at the dawn of a new economy in which platforms rather than corporations would dominate.

It predicts that by 2020, the majority of commerce will be conducted on digital platforms providing consumers and merchants the infrastructure of commerce, such as data, trade, payment and logistics.

The commerce will be driven by data and sharing will be a key theme in an environment where inclusive technology, inclusive finance and trade will flourish, it added.

AliResearch suggested that platforms with a trading volume in excess of 6 trillion yuan ($867.4 billion) will emerge by 2020.

About half of the workforce would be made up of self-employed and freelance workers. That could put an end to the 8-hourday employment system by 2036.