The Impact of Robots on Labour Market Transitions in Europe

58 Pages Posted: 18 Feb 2023

See all articles by Ronald Bachmann

Ronald Bachmann

RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research

Myrielle Gonschor

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI); Government of the Italian Republic (Italy) - Ragioneria Generale dello Stato (RGS)

Piotr Lewandowski

Institute for Structural Research (IBS)

Karol Madoń

Institute for Structural Research (IBS)

Abstract

We study the effects of robot exposure on worker flows in 16 European countries between 2000-2017. Overall, we find small negative effects on job separations and small positive effects on job findings. Labour costs are a major driver of cross-country differences: the effects of robot exposure are generally larger in absolute terms in countries with relatively low or average levels of labour costs than in countries with high levels of labour costs. These effects are particularly pronounced for workers in occupations intensive in routine manual or routine cognitive tasks, but are insignificant in occupations intensive in non-routine cognitive tasks. Our results imply that robot adoption increased employment and reduced unemployment, especially in European countries with relatively low or average levels of labour costs, and mainly through lower job separations.

Keywords: robotstechnological changetaskslabour market effectsEurope

Suggested Citation

Bachmann, Ronald and Gonschor, Myrielle and Lewandowski, Piotr and Madoń, Karol, The Impact of Robots on Labour Market Transitions in Europe. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4363278 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4363278

Ronald Bachmann (Contact Author)

RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research ( email )

Hohenzollernstr. 1-3
Essen
Germany

Myrielle Gonschor

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI) ( email )

Hohenzollernstraße 1-3
Essen
Germany

Government of the Italian Republic (Italy) - Ragioneria Generale dello Stato (RGS)

Via XX Settembre 97
Rome
Italy

Piotr Lewandowski

Institute for Structural Research (IBS) ( email )

Wiśniowa 40B/8, 02-520
Warsaw
Poland

Karol Madoń

Institute for Structural Research (IBS) ( email )

Wiśniowa 40B/8, 02-520
Warsaw
Poland

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