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Monopsony and Automation

Author

Listed:
  • Marina Chugunova

    (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition)

  • Klaus Keller

    (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition)

  • Jose Azar

    (University of Navarra, School of Economics and Business and IESE Business School)

  • Sampsa Samila

    (IESE Business School, University of Navarra.)

Abstract

We examine the impact of labor market power on firms' adoption of automation technologies. We develop a model that incorporates labor market power into the task-based theory of automation. We show that, due to higher marginal cost of labor, monopsonistic firms have stronger incentives to automate than wage-taking firms, which could amplify or mitigate the negative employment effects of automation. Using data from US commuting zones, our results show that commuting zones that are more exposed to industrial robots exhibit considerably larger reductions in both employment and wages when their labor markets demonstrate higher levels of concentration.

Suggested Citation

  • Marina Chugunova & Klaus Keller & Jose Azar & Sampsa Samila, 2023. "Monopsony and Automation," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 432, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:432
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Efraim Benmelech & Nittai K. Bergman & Hyunseob Kim, 2022. "Strong Employers and Weak Employees: How Does Employer Concentration Affect Wages?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(S), pages 200-250.
    2. Deng, Liuchun & Plümpe, Verena & Stegmaier, Jens, 2021. "Robot adoption at German plants," IWH Discussion Papers 19/2020, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), revised 2021.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    automation; employment; labor market concentration; industrial robots; wage setting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • 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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