More than one third of UK jobs could be replaced by technology, automation and robotics in the next 20 years with the biggest losses expected in London, according to research.

Lower-paid jobs are five times more likely to be at risk countrywide, but this rises to eight per cent in London.

The research, which was carried by Deloitte alongside the University of Oxford, exposed most of the jobs that currently require repetitive processing, clerical and support services will be replaced with roles requiring digital, management and creative skills.

"Skilled cities like London are incubators for new ideas and products. With the right policies, London can be at the front-line in developing the next generation of digital technologies," said Carl Benedikt Frey, James Martin Fellow, Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford.

"To remain a world leading city, London needs to manage the transition of its workforce into new occupations and industries, as it has done so successfully in the past."

It's not all doom and gloom for the jobs market though. Of the businesses based in London questioned, almost three-quarters (73 per cent) said they plan to increase their headcount in the next five years, with just over half (51 per cent) saying they will increase the headcount by at least 10 per cent.