Robot Imports and Firm-Level Outcomes

Alessandra Bonfiglioli (), Rosario Crino (), Harald Fadinger and Gino Gancia

CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series from University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany

Abstract: We use French data over the 1994-2013 period to study how imports of industrial robots affect fi rm-level outcomes. Compared to other fi rms operating in the same 5- digit sector, robot importers are larger, more productive, and employ a higher share of managers and engineers. Over time, robot import occurs after periods of expansion in fi rm size, and is followed by improvements in effciency and a fall in demand for labor. Guided by a simple model, we develop various empirical strategies to identify the causal effects of robot adoption. Our results suggest that, while demand shocks generate a positive correlation between robot imports and employment, exogenous changes in automation lead to job losses. We also fi nd that robot imports increase productivity and the employment share of high-skill professions, but have a weak effect on total sales. The latter result suggests that productivity gains from automation may not be entirely passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices.

Keywords: Automation; Displacement; Firms; Robots (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 J23 J24 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 46
Date: 2020-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-hrm, nep-lma and nep-tid
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (54)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Robot Imports and Firm-Level Outcomes (2024)
Working Paper: Robot Imports and Firm-Level Outcomes (2023)
Working Paper: Robot Imports and Firm-Level Outcomes (2022)
Working Paper: Robot Imports and Firm-Level Outcomes (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2020_243

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