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The Rise of Robots and the Fall of Routine Jobs

Author

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  • de Vries, Gaaitzen J.

    (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Gentile, Elisabetta

    (Asian Development Bank)

  • Miroudot, Sébastien

    (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

  • Wacker , Konstantin M.

    (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of industrial robots on jobs. We combine data on robot adoption and occupations by industry in 37 economies for the period 2005–2015. We exploit differences across industries in technical feasibility—defined as the industry’s share of tasks replaceable by robots—to identify the impact of robot usage on employment. The data allow us to differentiate effects by the routine intensity of employment. We find that a rise in robot adoption relates significantly to a fall in the employment share of routine manual task-intensive jobs. This relation is observed in high-income economies, but not in emerging market and transition economies.

Suggested Citation

  • de Vries, Gaaitzen J. & Gentile, Elisabetta & Miroudot, Sébastien & Wacker , Konstantin M., 2021. "The Rise of Robots and the Fall of Routine Jobs," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 619, Asian Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbewp:0619
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment; occupations; robots; tasks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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