Citation

Discussion Paper Details

Please find the details for DP13802 in an easy to copy and paste format below:

Full Details   |   Bibliographic Reference

Full Details

Title: Who Is Afraid of Machines?

Author(s): Sotiris Blanas, Gino Gancia and Sang Yoon (Tim) Lee

Publication Date: June 2019

Keyword(s): automation, employment, labor demand, Labor Income Share and robots

Programme Area(s): International Trade and Regional Economics and Macroeconomics and Growth

Abstract: We study how various types of machines, namely, information and communication technologies, software, and especially industrial robots, affect the demand for workers of different education, age, and gender. We do so by exploiting differences in the composition of workers across countries, industries and time. Our dataset comprises 10 high-income countries and 30 industries, which span roughly their entire economies, with annual observations over the period 1982-2005. The results suggest that software and robots reduced the demand for low and medium-skill workers, the young, and women - especially in manufacturing industries; but raised the demand for high-skill workers, older workers and men - especially in service industries. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that automation technologies, contrary to other types of capital, replace humans performing routine tasks. We also find evidence for some types of workers, especially women, having shifted away from such tasks.

For full details and related downloads, please visit: https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=13802

Bibliographic Reference

Blanas, S, Gancia, G and Lee, S. 2019. 'Who Is Afraid of Machines?'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=13802