Abstract
The workforce all over the world is in upheaval as technology advances. SMEs are at risk of being disrupted by the fourth industrial revolution(4IR), As a result, automation has the workforce looking into the future with fear given it replaces the workforce with machines. While some perceive automation as a desirable and efficient enhancement, others are concerned about its potential negative implications. However, automating firms are said to become more productive, which translates into higher employment by these firms. The main purpose of this study was to examine the impact automation has on employment in SMEs. To examine this a search through Google Scholar was conducted. A total of 38 papers were acquired on the first search, the papers were then filtered through initial analysis by reading through the abstract to determine if they meet the selection criteria. The full text was acquired after the abstract was deemed relevant. A total of 17 papers were reviewed, and the results yielded show that increased productivity was the most positive impact of automation and job loss/ job displacement negatively impacted employment the most. The overall conclusion of this study was that automation impacts employment both positively and negatively, with the positive impacts outweighing the negative. Hence it is imperative for organizations and employees to embrace automation and try to transition to new roles and industries.