Robots, Occupations, and Worker Age: A Production-Unit Analysis of Employment

Liuchun Deng (), Steffen Müller (), Verena Plümpe () and Jens Stegmaier ()
Additional contact information
Liuchun Deng: Yale-NUS College
Steffen Müller: IWH Halle
Verena Plümpe: IWH Halle
Jens Stegmaier: Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Steffen Mueller

No 16128, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We analyze the impact of robot adoption on employment composition using novel micro data on robot use of German manufacturing plants linked with social security records and data on job tasks. Our task-based model predicts more favorable employment effects for the least routine-task intensive occupations and for young workers, the latter being better at adapting to change. An event-study analysis for robot adoption confirms both predictions. We do not find decreasing employment for any occupational or age group but churning among low-skilled workers rises sharply. We conclude that the displacement effect of robots is occupation-biased but age neutral whereas the reinstatement effect is age-biased and benefits young workers most.

Keywords: occupation; jobs; robots; worker age (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 48 pages
Date: 2023-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ain, nep-eur, nep-lma and nep-tid
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published - published in: European Economic Review, 2024, 170, 104881

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Related works:
Journal Article: Robots, occupations, and worker age: A production-unit analysis of employment (2024)
Working Paper: Robots, occupations, and worker age: A production-unit analysis of employment (2023)
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