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Automation in Latin America: Are Women at Higher Risk of Losing Their Jobs?

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  • Egana-delSol, Pablo
  • Bustelo, Monserrat
  • Ripani, Laura
  • Soler, Nicolas
  • Viollaz, Mariana

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which comprises digitization, artificial intelligence, robotics, among others, have the power to drastically increase economic output but may also displace workers. In this paper we assess the risk of automation for female and male workers in four Latin American countries – Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and El Salvador. Our study is the first to apply a task-based approach with a gender perspective in this region. Our main findings indicate that men are more likely than women to perform tasks linked to the ‘skills of the future’, such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), information and communications technology, management and communication, and creative problem-solving tasks. Women thus have a higher average risk of automation, and 21% of women vs. 19% of men are at high risk (probability of automation greater than 70%). The differential impacts of the new technological trends for women and men must be assessed in order to guide the policy-making process to prepare workers for the future. Finally, country- level specific actions should be taken to prevent digital transformation from worsening existing gender inequalities in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Egana-delSol, Pablo & Bustelo, Monserrat & Ripani, Laura & Soler, Nicolas & Viollaz, Mariana, 2022. "Automation in Latin America: Are Women at Higher Risk of Losing Their Jobs?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:175:y:2022:i:c:s0040162521007642
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121333
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ebeke, Christian H. & Eklou, Kodjovi M., 2023. "Automation and the employment elasticity of fiscal policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    3. Zhang, Xinchun & Sun, Murong & Liu, Jianxu & Xu, Aijia, 2024. "The nexus between industrial robot and employment in China: The effects of technology substitution and technology creation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    4. Casas, Pablo & Román, Concepción, 2023. "Early retired or automatized? Evidence from the survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    5. Pawel Gmyrek & Hernan Winkler & Santiago Garganta, 2024. "Buffer or Bottleneck? Employment Exposure to Generative AI and the Digital Divide in Latin America," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0340, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

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    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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