How do Workers Adjust to Robots? Evidence from China

Osea Giuntella, Yi Lu and Tianyi Wang

The Economic Journal, 2025, vol. 135, issue 666, 637-652

Abstract: We analyse the effects of exposure to industrial robots on labour market adjustments, exploring longitudinal household data from China. We find that a one-standard-deviation increase in robot exposure led to a decline in labour force participation (−1%), employment (−7%) and hourly earnings (−8%) of Chinese workers. At the same time, among those who kept working, robot exposure increased the number of hours worked by 8%. These effects were concentrated among the less educated and larger among male, prime-age and older workers. We also find that more exposed workers increased their participation in technical training and were significantly more likely to retire earlier.

Date: 2025
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