Technology and Employment: Twelve Stylised Facts for the Digital Age

Mario Pianta

The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 2018, vol. 61, issue 2, No 1, 189-225

Abstract: Abstract Twelve stylised facts on the relationship between technology and employment are proposed in this paper as a summary of current trends, conceptual issues, methodological approaches and research results. They include the following: (1) technology is shaped by social relations; (2) technology saves human labour; technological unemployment is a serious concern; (3) in the digital age the nature and boundaries of work are changing; (4) different technological strategies have contrasting employment effects; (5) industries differ in their employment dynamics and role of technology; (6) we can see the employment impact of technology at the firm, industry and macroeconomic levels; (7) technological change is a disequilibrium process; demand and structural change matter; (8) business cycles affect technological change and its employment impact; (9) the impact of technology is different across occupations and skills; (10) labour market conditions are relevant, but employment outcomes are not determined in labour markets alone; (11) in emerging countries employment outcomes are jointly affected by technology and catching up; (12) technology is an engine of inequality; profits benefit more than wages, wage disparities increase. They have important policy implications in several areas of public action.

Keywords: Technology; Employment; Skills; Labour markets; Digital economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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DOI: 10.1007/s41027-018-0124-5

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