The effects of automation in the apparel and automotive sectors and their gender dimensions

This report is the final output of a research project investigating the effects of automation on employment in the automotive, apparel and footwear industries in five countries, namely Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, and Spain. The main objective of this project has been to improve our understanding of how ongoing processes of technological upgrading, particularly automation, impact women’s and men’s employment and work in these industries. Our findings suggest that, in the short term, close to the introduction of new automation technology, the impact on employment takes the form of reassignment of workers directly involved in automated processes to other positions, tasks, and occupations. This study also explored the impact of automation in terms of work organisation and working conditions. Across the case studies, it emerged that the adoption of automation technologies has reduced heavy and repetitive tasks and improved health and safety for workers directly concerned by automation. Another interesting and related common finding is the reduction of workers’ autonomy who are now subject to more standardisation of tasks together with an ongoing process of deskilling of operators. Finally, in the apparel and footwear sector, we did not find evidence of defeminisation at the establishment level as well as the automotive factories remains highly male-dominated. Cultural norms and stereotypes which influence not only the jobs women and men apply to and get hired for, but also which training and education they engage in, contribute to this gender segregation in both sectors.