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Testing the employment impact of automation, robots and AI: A survey and some methodological issues

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Barbieri

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

  • Chiara Mussida

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

  • Mariacristina Piva

    (Dipartimento di Politica Economica, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

  • Marco Vivarelli

    (Dipartimento di Politica Economica, DISCE, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, The Netherlands and IZA, Bonn, Germany)

Abstract

The present technological revolution, characterized by the pervasive and growing presence of robots, automation, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, is going to transform societies and economic systems. However, this is not the first technological revolution humankind has been facing, but it is probably the very first one with such an accelerated diffusion pace involving all the industrial sectors. Studying its mechanisms and consequences (will the world turn into a jobless society or not?), mainly considering the labor market dynamics, is a crucial matter. This paper aims at providing an updated picture of main empirical evidence on the relationship between new technologies and employment both in terms of overall consequences on the number of employees, tasks required, and wage/inequality effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Barbieri & Chiara Mussida & Mariacristina Piva & Marco Vivarelli, 2019. "Testing the employment impact of automation, robots and AI: A survey and some methodological issues," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0006, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    • Handle: RePEc:ctc:serie5:dipe0006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Giacomo Damioli & Vincent Van Roy & Daniel Vertesy & Marco Vivarelli, 2023. "AI technologies and employment: micro evidence from the supply side," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(6), pages 816-821, March.
    3. Cresti, Lorenzo & Dosi, Giovanni & Fagiolo, Giorgio, 2023. "Technological interdependencies and employment changes in European industries," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 41-57.
    4. Guastella, Gianni & Mazzarano, Matteo & Pareglio, Stefano & Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2022. "Climate reputation risk and abnormal returns in the stock markets: A focus on large emitters," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    5. René Böheim & Michael Christl, 2022. "Mismatch unemployment in Austria: the role of regional labour markets for skills," Regional Studies, Regional Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 208-222, December.
    6. Mazzarano, Matteo & Guastella, Gianni & Pareglio, Stefano & Xepapadeas, Anastasios & Borghesi, Simone, 2024. "“Carbon” boards and transition risk: Explicit and implicit exposure implications for total stock returns and dividends payouts," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    7. Davide Dottori, 2021. "Robots and employment: evidence from Italy," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(2), pages 739-795, July.
    8. Dario Guarascio & Alessandro Piccirillo & Jelena Reljic, 2024. "Will robot replace workers? Assessing the impact of robots on employment and wages with meta-analysis," Working Papers in Public Economics 245, Department of Economics and Law, Sapienza University of Roma.
    9. Klump, Rainer & Jurkat, Anne & Schneider, Florian, 2021. "Tracking the rise of robots: A survey of the IFR database and its applications," MPRA Paper 110390, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Barth, Erling & Roed, Marianne & Schone, Pal & Umblijs, Janis, 2020. "How Robots Change Within-Firm Wage Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 13605, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. José-Ignacio Antón & David Klenert & Enrique Fernández-Macías & Maria Cesira Urzì Brancati & Georgios Alaveras, 2022. "The labour market impact of robotisation in Europe," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 28(3), pages 317-339, September.
    12. Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2020. "The present, past, and future of labor-saving technologies," LEM Papers Series 2020/37, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    13. Mauro Caselli & Andrea Fracasso & Arianna Marcolin & Sergio Scicchitano, 2023. "The reassuring effect of firms' technological innovations on workers' job insecurity," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 45(4), pages 754-778, October.
    14. David Klenert & Enrique Fernández-Macías & José-Ignacio Antón, 2023. "Do robots really destroy jobs? Evidence from Europe," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(1), pages 280-316, February.
    15. Jasmine Mondolo, 2022. "The composite link between technological change and employment: A survey of the literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 1027-1068, September.
    16. Marco Vivarelli, 2022. "Innovation and employment: a short update," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0024, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    17. Leibrecht, Markus & Scharler, Johann & Zhoufu, Yan, 2023. "Automation and unemployment: Does collective bargaining moderate their association?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 264-276.
    18. Tommaso Rughi & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Climate change and labour-saving technologies: the twin transition via patent texts," LEM Papers Series 2023/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    19. Luigi Campiglio, 2020. "Lo Stato Sociale: da "lusso" a necessità," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0008, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    20. Stefan Jestl, 2022. "Industrial Robots, and Information and Communication Technology: The Employment Effects in EU Labour Markets," wiiw Working Papers 215, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    21. Liu, Liang & Yang, Kun & Fujii, Hidemichi & Liu, Jun, 2021. "Artificial intelligence and energy intensity in China’s industrial sector: Effect and transmission channel," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 276-293.
    22. Oscar Afonso & Tiago Sequeira & Derick Almeida, 2023. "Technological knowledge and wages: from skill premium to wage polarization," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 93-119, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    technology; innovation; employment; skill; task; routine;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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