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Ricci, Andrea, Claudia Vittori, Francesco Quartaro & Stefano Dughera (2022): Technological externalities and wages: new evidence from Italian provinces. (INAPP working paper / Istituto nazionale per l’analisi delle politiche pubbliche 85), Rom, 23 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, we investigate the relationship between local wages and the internal structure of the regional knowledge base. The purpose is to assess if the workers' compensations are related to the peculiarities of the technological space where they supply their labor services. To test this hypothesis, we apply the concepts of related and unrelated variety to the firms' patenting activity as to assess if wages grow more in a framework of 'knowledge deepening' (generated by firms innovating in related technological domains) or in one of 'knowledge widening' (generated by firms innovating in unrelated technological domains)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sandher, Jeevun (2022): No Country for Non-Graduate Men: The Childish Roots of Adult Job Tasks & Employment. (SocArXiv papers), 79 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/sh58c

Abstract

"Male employment has declined across advanced economies as non-graduate men found it increasingly difficult to gain jobs in the wake of technological change and globalisation. This has led to rising earnings and, subsequently, income inequality. Female employment, by contrast, has risen in this period. Previous work has shown changing job task demands explain this pattern - with declining manual tasks penalising men and rising non-routine tasks benefiting women. In this paper, I test whether gendered differences in childhood & adolescent cognitive, social, perseverance, and emotional-health skills can help explain why men are less adept at non-routine tasks using long-term longitudinal data from the United Kingdom. I find that childhood & adolescent skills have a significant effect on adult job tasks and employment outcomes. Greater cognitive and childhood emotional-health skills lead to people performing more high-pay analytical and interactive job tasks as adults. Greater cognitive and non-cognitive skills are also associated with higher adult employment levels. Indicative calculations show that gendered differences in these childhood and adolescent skills explain an economically significant decline in the analytical and interactive job tasks performed by non-graduate men as well as their employment rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulze-Cleven, Tobias & Todd E. Vachon (2022): The Future of Work and Workers: Insights from US Labour Studies. In: Global Labour Journal, Jg. 19, H. 1, S. 122-134. DOI:10.15173/glj.v13i1.5068

Abstract

"We have argued in this essay that it is during times of uncertainty such as this that ideas are most important. Ideas are the basis upon which actors can treat uncertainty as risk and engage in rational problem-solving. How can we best ensure that workers are protected and equity is centred in the process of institutional renewal? Drawing from a labour studies perspective on the future of work and workers, we have highlighted several crucial considerations and principles that have been missing from most contemporary US-based discussions and that we suspect can travel beyond the borders of the United States. Together, we believe, these insights can help guide attempts to build a future in which work is rewarding and in which workers have a voice about how it is conducted. Collaborative research efforts and partnerships between academics and practitioners to explore these elements and others are one way through which shared visions can be developed and the seeds for a more just and equitable future may be planted. We look forward to participating in such conversations in the days and years ahead and encourage you to join as well." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Squicciarini, Mariagrazia & Jacopo Staccioli (2022): Labour-saving technologies and employment levels. Are robots really making workers redundant? (OECD science, technology and industry policy papers 124), Paris, 36 S. DOI:10.1787/9ce86ca5-en

Abstract

"This paper exploits natural language processing techniques to detect explicit labour-saving goals in inventive efforts in robotics and assess their relevance for different occupational profiles and the impact on employment levels. The analysis relies on patents published by the European Patent Office between 1978 and 2019 and firm-level data from ORBIS® IP. It investigates innovative actors engaged in labour-saving technologies and their economic environment (identity, location, industry), and identifies technological fields and associated occupations which are particularly exposed to them. Labour-saving patents are concentrated in Japan, the United States, and Italy, and seem to affect low-skilled and blue-collar jobs, along with highly cognitive and specialised professions. A preliminary analysis does not find an appreciable negative effect on employment shares in OECD countries over the past decade, but further research to econometrically investigate the relationship between labour-saving technological developments and employment would be helpful." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Terry, Esme, Abigail Marks, Arek Dakessian & Dimitris Christopoulos (2022): Emotional Labour and the Autonomy of Dependent Self-Employed Workers: The Limitations of Digital Managerial Control in the Home Credit Sector. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 36, H. 4, S. 665-682. DOI:10.1177/0950017020979504

Abstract

"Changes to the labour process in the home credit sector have exposed the industry’s agency workforce to increased levels of digital managerial control through the introduction of lending applications and algorithmic decision-making techniques. This article highlights the heterogeneous nature of the impact of digitalisation on the labour process and worker autonomy – specifically, in terms of workers’ engagement in unquantified emotional labour. By considering the limitations of digital control in relation to qualitative elements of the labour process, it becomes evident that emotional labour has the scope to be a source of autonomy for dependent self-employed workers when set against a backdrop of heightened digital control. This article therefore contributes to ongoing labour process debates surrounding digitalisation, quantified workers and digital managerial control." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Yakymovych, Yaroslav (2022): Consequences of job loss for routine workers. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2022,15), Uppsala, 39 S.

Abstract

"Routine-biased technological change has led to the worsening of labour market prospects for workers in exposed occupations as their work has increasingly been done by machines. Routine workers who have lost their jobs in mass displacement events are likely to have been a particularly affected group, due to potential difficulties in finding new employment that matches their skills and experience. In this study, the annual earnings, employment, monthly wages and days of unemployment of displaced routine workers are compared to those of displaced non-routine workers using Swedish matched employer-employee data. The results show substantial routine-occupation penalties among displaced workers, which persist in the medium to long term. Compared to displaced non-routine workers, displaced routine workers lose an additional year's worth of pre-displacement earnings and spend 180 more days in unemployment. A possible channel for this effect is the loss of occupation- and industry-specific human capital, as routine workers are unable to find jobs similar to those they had before becoming displaced. I do not find evidence that switching to a non-routine occupation reduces routine workers' losses, but rather there are indications that switchers do worse in the short-to-medium run. The findings suggest that the effects of labour-replacing technological change on the most exposed individuals can be severe and difficult to ameliorate." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zuazu-Bermejo, Izaskun (2022): Robots and women in manufacturing employment. (ifso working paper 19), Duisburg: University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socio-Economics (ifso), 51 S.

Abstract

"Automation transforms the combination of tasks performed by machines and humans, and reshapes existing labour markets by replacing jobs and creating new ones. The implications of these transformations are likely to differ by gender as women and men concentrate in different tasks and jobs. This article argues that a gender-biased technological change framework will advance our understanding of the differentiated role of robots in labour market outcomes of women and men. The article empirically analyses the impact of industrial robots in gender segregation and employment levels of women and men using an industry-level disaggregated panel dataset of 11 industries in 14 developed and developing countries during 1993-2015. Within fixed-effects and instrumental variables estimates suggest that robotization increases the share of women in manufacturing employment. However, this impact hinges upon female labour force participation. As female labour participation rate increases, robots are associated with a negative effect of robotization in the female share of manufacturing employment. Results also show that the impact of robotization varies at different levels of economic development. The estimates point to a reducing employment effects of robotization, although the effect for women is larger. The results are robust to a variety of various sensitivity checks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Acemoglu, Daron & Pascual Restrepo (2021): Tasks, Automation, and the Rise in US Wage Inequality. (NBER working paper 28920), Cambridge, MA, 106 S. DOI:10.3386/w28920

Abstract

"We document that between 50% and 70% of changes in the US wage structure over the last four decades are accounted for by the relative wage declines of worker groups specialized in routine tasks in industries experiencing rapid automation. We develop a conceptual framework where tasks across a number of industries are allocated to different types of labor and capital. Automation technologies expand the set of tasks performed by capital, displacing certain worker groups from employment opportunities for which they have comparative advantage. This framework yields a simple equation linking wage changes of a demographic group to the task displacement it experiences. We report robust evidence in favor of this relationship and show that regression models incorporating task displacement explain much of the changes in education differentials between 1980 and 2016. Our task displacement variable captures the effects of automation technologies (and to a lesser degree offshoring) rather than those of rising market power, markups or deunionization, which themselves do not appear to play a major role in US wage inequality. We also propose a methodology for evaluating the full general equilibrium effects of task displacement (which include induced changes in industry composition and ripple effects as tasks are reallocated across different groups). Our quantitative evaluation based on this methodology explains how major changes in wage inequality can go hand-in-hand with modest productivity gains." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aksoy, Cevat Giray, Berkay Özcan & Julia Philipp (2021): Robots and the Gender Pay Gap in Europe. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 134. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.103693

Abstract

"Could robotization make the gender pay gap worse? We provide the first large-scale evidence on the impact of industrial robots on the gender pay gap using data from 20 European countries. We show that robot adoption increases both male and female earnings but also increases the gender pay gap. Using an instrumental variable strategy, we find that a ten percent increase in robotization leads to a 1.8 percent increase in the gender pay gap. These results are driven by countries with high initial levels of gender inequality and can be explained by the fact that men at medium- and high-skill occupations disproportionately benefit from robotization, through a productivity effect. We rule out the possibility that our results are driven by mechanical changes in the gender composition of the workforce." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

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Alekseeva, Liudmila, José Azar, Mireia Giné, Sampsa Samila & Bledi Taska (2021): The demand for AI skills in the labor market. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 71. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2021.102002

Abstract

"Using detailed data on skill requirements in online vacancies, we estimate the demand for AI specialists across occupations, sectors, and firms. We document a dramatic increase in the demand for AI skills over 2010–2019 in the U.S. economy across most industries and occupations. The demand is highest in IT occupations, followed by architecture and engineering, scientific, and management occupations. Firms with larger market capitalization, higher cash holdings, and higher investments in R&D have a higher demand for AI skills. We also document a wage premium of 11% for job postings that require AI skills within the same firm and 5% within the same job title. Managerial occupations have the highest wage premium for AI skills. Firms demanding AI skills more intensively also offer higher salaries in non-AI jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

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Belloc, Filippo, Gabriel Burdín, Luca Cattani, William Ellis & Fabio Landini (2021): Coevolution of Job Automation Risk and Workplace Governance. (IZA discussion paper 14788), Bonn, 58 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the interplay between the allocation of authority within firms and workers' exposure to automation risk. We propose an evolutionary model to study the complementary fit of job design and workplace governance as resulting from the adoption of worker voice institutions, in particular employee representation (ER). Two organisational conventions are likely to emerge in our framework: in one, workplace governance is based on ER and job designs have low automation risk; in the other, ER is absent and workers are involved in automation-prone production tasks. Using data from a large sample of European workers, we document that automation risk is negatively associated with the presence of ER, consistently with our theoretical framework. Our analysis helps to rationalize the historical experience of Nordic countries, where simultaneous experimentation with codetermination rights and job enrichment programs has taken place. Policy debates about the consequences of automation on labour organization should avoid technological determinism and devote more attention to socio-institutional factors shaping the future of work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bertinelli, Luisito, Olivier Cardi & Romain Restout (2021): Labor Market Effects Of Technology Shocks Biased Toward The Traded Sector. (Documents de travail / Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée 2021-09), Sraßburg, 154 S.

Abstract

"Motivated by recent evidence pointing at an increasing contribution of asymmetric shocks across sectors to economic fluctuations, we explore the labor market effects of technology shocks biased toward the traded sector. Our VAR evidence for seventeen OECD countries reveals that the non-traded sector alone drives the increase in total hours worked following a technology shock that increases permanently traded relative to non-traded TFP. The shock gives rise to a reallocation of labor which contributes to 35% on average of the rise in non-traded hours worked. Both labor reallocation and variations in labor income shares are found empirically connected with factor-biased technological change. Our quantitative analysis shows that a two-sector open economy model with flexible prices can reproduce the labor market effects we document empirically once we allow for technological change biased toward labor together with additional specific elements. When calibrating the model to country-specific data, its ability to account for the cross-country reallocation and redistributive effects we estimate increases once we let factor-biased technological change vary between sectors and across countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Borelli, Silvia & Sofia Gualandi (2021): Which social security regime for platform workers in Italy? In: International social security review, Jg. 74, H. 3/4, S. 133-154. DOI:10.1111/issr.12281

Abstract

"Dieser Artikel wirft ein Licht auf die Debatte über die Regeln der sozialen Sicherheit, die für Plattformbeschäftigte in Italien gelten. Da die Systeme der sozialen Sicherheit nach Beschäftigungsart und Selbstständigkeit unterscheiden, werden hier Präzedenzfälle im italienischen Recht beschrieben, in denen es um den Beschäftigungsstatus von Plattformarbeitnehmern geht. Sodann werden die italienische Gesetzgebung, das Fallrecht und die Tarifverträge im Zusammenhang mit dem Arbeitsschutz skizziert, und es wird erklärt, auf welche Deckung Beschäftigte von Plattformen bei Arbeitsunfällen oder Berufskrankheiten Anrecht haben. Im Vordergrund stehen dabei die Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie. Außerdem werden die beiden wichtigsten Mindesteinkommenssysteme Italiens und die entsprechenden wissenschaftlichen Debatten nachgezeichnet, und es wird darauf eingegangen, welche Auswirkungen diese Systeme darauf haben, dass die digitalen Arbeitsplattformen sich ihrer Verantwortung hinsichtlich der Arbeitnehmerrechte, einschließlich des Zugangs zu einem angemessenen Sozialschutz, entziehen können." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Busemeyer, Marius R. & Tobias Tober (2021): Sozialtransfers, Weiterbildung, kürzere Arbeitszeiten? Die sozialpolitischen Prioritäten von Arbeitnehmer*innen im Zeitalter der Automatisierung. (Policy paper / Universität Konstanz, Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" 08 (DE)), Konstanz, 9 S.

Abstract

"Robotisierung, Automatisierung und Digitalisierung verändern die Arbeitsmärkte weltweit - umso mehr, seit die Pandemie die Abhängigkeit unserer Wirtschaft von bestimmten Berufszweigen aufgezeigt hat. Welche Antworten auf diesen Wandel erwarten die Bürger*innen von ihren Regierungen? Unsere Studie in 24 OECD-Ländern zeigt: Es herrscht große Besorgnis über technologiebedingte Arbeitsplatzrisiken, der technologische Wandel weckt aber auch Hoffnungen. Aus- und Fortbildungsmaßnahmen stoßen auf breite Zustimmung. Diejenigen, deren Arbeitsplatz aber konkret in Gefahr ist, erwarten für die Zeit der Arbeitslosigkeit vor allem kurzfristige, materielle Unterstützung. Die Politik sollte darum eine Balance zwischen notwendigen Investitionen in die digitale Wissensökonomie und sozialen Transferleistungen finden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Cette, Gilbert, Aurélien Devillard & Vincenzo Spiezia (2021): The contribution of robots to productivity growth in 30 OECD countries over 1975–2019. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 200. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2021.109762

Abstract

"Using a new and original database, our paper contributes to the growth accounting literature by singling out the contribution of robots through two channels: capital deepening and TFP. The contribution of robots to productivity growth through capital deepening and TFP appears to have been significant in Germany and Japan in the sub-period 1975–1995 and in several Eastern European countries in 2005–2019. However, robotization does not appear to be the source of a significant revival in productivity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

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Chernoff, Alex & Casey Warman (2021): COVID-19 and Implications for Automation. (Staff working paper / Bank of Canada 2021,25), Ottawa, 29 S.

Abstract

"COVID-19 may accelerate the automation of jobs as employers invest in technology to safeguard against pandemics. We identify occupations that have high automation potential and also exhibit a high risk of viral infection. We examine regional variation in terms of which U.S. local labor markets are most at risk. Next, we outline the differential impacts COVID-19 may have on different demographic groups. We find that the highest-risk occupations in the U.S. are those held by females with mid- to low wage and education levels. Using comparable data for 25 other countries, we also find that women in this demographic are at the highest risk internationally. We examine monthly employment data from the U.S. and find that women in high-risk occupations experienced a larger initial decline in employment and a weaker recovery during the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cnossen, Femke, Matloob Piracha & Guy Tchuente (2021): Learning the Right Skill: The Returns to Social, Technical and Basic Skills for Middle-Educated Graduates. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 979), Essen, 42 S.

Abstract

"Technological change and globalization have sparked debates on the changing demand for skills in western labour markets, especially for middle skilled workers who have seen their tasks replaced. This paper provides a new data set, which is based on text data from curricula of the entire Dutch vocational education system. We extract verbs and nouns to measure social, technical and basic skills in a novel way. This method allows us to uncover the skills middle-skilled students learn in school. Using this data, we show that skill returns vary across students specialized in STEM, economics or health, as well as across sectors of employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kilhoffer, Zachary, Leonie Westhoff, Doina Postica & Farzaneh Shamsfakhr (2021): Digital labour platforms in the EU. Mapping and business models : final report. Brüssel, 150 S. DOI:10.2767/224624

Abstract

"This is the final report of the study on ‘Digital labour platforms in the EU: Mapping and business models’ for the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL). In total, 516 active and another 74 inactive digital labour platforms (DLPs) in the EU27 have been identified. For each of these DLPs, information on the business model has been collected and analysed. Moreover, for a sample of 38 DLPs, details on the working conditions have been collected and analysed for one or more countries. This study illustrates that DLPs have grown rapidly in the last five years, though still small in size with EUR 14 billion in activity. DLPs act as intermediaries for a large range of activities, including freelance, contest-based, microtask, taxi, delivery, home and professional services. DLPs intermediating the same services often follow similar business models, nevertheless the working conditions can differ between these platforms and even for the same platform across countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Demirel, Pelin, Ekaterina Nemkova & Rebecca Taylor (2021): Reproducing Global Inequalities in the Online Labour Market: Valuing Capital in the Design Field. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 35, H. 5, S. 914-930. DOI:10.1177/0950017020942447

Abstract

"Millions of freelancers work on digital platforms in the online labour market (OLM). The OLM´s capacity to both undermine and reproduce labour inequalities is a theme in contemporary platform economy debates. What is less well understood is how processes of social (re)production take place in practice for diverse freelancers on global platforms. Drawing on a study of freelance designers, we use Bourdieus notions of capital and field to explore the specific rules of the game and the symbolic valuing of skills and identities that secure legitimacy and advantage in the OLM. We contribute to contemporary debates by illuminating the power of Global North actors to shape freelancer positions and hierarchies in the online design field. The cost advantages of Global South workers are counterbalanced by the symbolic legitimising of specific cultural and social practices (specifically in relation to language) and the devaluing of others." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Domini, Giacomo, Marco Grazzi, Daniele Moschella & Tania Treibich (2021): For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Firm-Level Effects of Automation on Wage and Gender Inequality. (JRC working papers series on labour, education and technology 2021,15), Sevilla, 43 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates the impact of investment in automation- and AI- related goods on within-firm wage inequality in the French economy during the period 2002-2017. We document that most of wage inequality in France is accounted for by differences among workers belonging to the same firm, rather than by differences between sectors, firms, and occupations. Using an event-study approach on a sample of firms importing automation and AI-related goods, we find that spike events related to the adoption of automation- or AI-related capital goods are not followed by an increase in within-firm wage nor in gender inequality. Instead, wages increase by 1% three years after the events at different percentiles of the distribution. Our findings are not linked to a rent-sharing behavior of firms obtaining productivity gains from automation or AI adoption. Instead, if the wage gains do not differ across workers along the wage distribution, worker heterogeneity is still present. Indeed, aligned with the framework in Abowd et al.(1999b), most of the overall wage increase is due to the hiring of new employees. This adds to previous findings showing picture of a `labor friendly' effect of the latest wave of new technologies within adopting firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Döhring, Björn, Atanas Hristov, Christoph Maier, Werner Röger & Anna Thum-Thysen (2021): COVID-19 acceleration in digitalisation, aggregate productivity growth and the functional income distribution. In: International economics and economic policy, Jg. 18, H. 3, S. 571-604. DOI:10.1007/s10368-021-00511-8

Abstract

"This paper characterises the conventional and the digital sector of the EU economy since the late 90s and introduces a two sector growth model which highlights structural differences between the two sectors. In contrast to conventional goods and services, digital goods and services are more easily scalable but require more upfront intangible investment. These features require consideration of fixed costs and a departure from perfect competition and raise issues about market entry. Another important dimension is the skill demand of both sectors, with the latter requiring a larger share of workers with digital skills. Since COVID-19 is expected to induce a persistent increase of demand for digital services, we use this model to estimate the likely economic impacts. We are in particular interested how the digital transition is affecting the labour market and the functional distribution of income. The paper shows how the distribution of economic rents between workers with digital skills and platforms is determined by labour supply conditions and entry barriers. This suggests that there is a role for competition policy and labour market policies to support the digital transition." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Erebak, Serkan & Tülay Turgut (2021): Anxiety about the speed of technological development: Effects on job insecurity, time estimation, and automation level preference. In: The Journal of High Technology Management Research, Jg. 32, H. 2. DOI:10.1016/j.hitech.2021.100419

Abstract

"Technology is developing rapidly. Every year, new products and services are produced that may affect the way employees work in organizations. Following and adapting to technological developments may be an individual challenge. People may experience anxiety in this process. Also, automation technologies may lead to a perception that individuals may lose their jobs soon. This may affect employees' choices in the possible human-robot collaboration process. In this study, we reached out to employees from various sectors via internet survey. The statistical analyses showed that concerns about the speed of technology affects employees' job insecurity caused by robots and the perception of job insecurity related to their work affects the level of automation they prefer in robots. New studies on this subject may contribute to the efficiency of human-robot cooperation which is expected to happen soon. Also, it may contribute to highlighting the anxiety experienced by employees during the development of technology." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Freier, Carolin, Joachim König, Arne Manzeschke & Barbara Städtler-Mach (Hrsg.) (2021): Gegenwart und Zukunft sozialer Dienstleistungsarbeit. Chancen und Risiken der Digitalisierung in der Sozialwirtschaft. (Perspektiven Sozialwirtschaft und Sozialmanagement), Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 477 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-658-32556-5

Abstract

"Der Band skizziert und diskutiert den digitalen Wandel in der Sozialwirtschaft. Internationale Beiträge aus der Praxis und Wissenschaft Sozialer Arbeit sowie dem Gesundheits- und Pflegebereich beschreiben, wie digitale Technologien den Alltag von Beschäftigten und deren Klient*innen prägen (werden). Enorme Chancen und gleichzeitig erhebliche Risiken dieses Wandels werden dabei debattiert, etwa mit Blick auf die Arbeitswelten, Professionen, soziale Teilhabe und daraus abzuleitende ethische Implikationen. Den Leser*innen bieten sich Praxiseinblicke, wissenschaftliche Analysen, Handlungsempfehlungen und Reflexionspotentiale, um soziale Dienstleistungsarbeit im Heute und Morgen (mit) zu gestalten." (Autorenreferat, © 2021 Springer)

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Frey, Philipp (2021): Visions of Automation: A Comparative Discussion of Two Approaches. In: Societies, Jg. 11, H. 2, S. 1-21. DOI:10.3390/soc11020063

Abstract

"In recent years, fears of technological unemployment have (re-)emerged strongly in public discourse. In response, policymakers and researchers have tried to gain a more nuanced understanding of the future of work in an age of automation. In these debates, it has become common practice to signal expertise on automation by referencing a plethora of studies, rather than limiting oneself to the careful discussion of a small number of selected papers whose epistemic limitations one might actually be able to grasp comprehensively. This paper addresses this shortcoming. I will first give a very general introduction to the state of the art of research on potentials for automation, using the German case as an example. I will then provide an in-depth analysis of two studies of the field that exemplify two competing approaches to the question of automatability: studies that limit themselves to discussing technological potentials for automation on the one hand, and macroeconomic scenario methods that claim to provide more concrete assessments of the connection between job losses (or job creation) and technological innovation in the future on the other. Finally, I will provide insight into the epistemic limitations and the specific vices and virtues of these two approaches from the perspective of critical social theory, thereby contributing to a more enlightened and reflexive debate on the future of automation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fudurich, James, Lena Suchanek & Lise Pichette (2021): Adoption of digital technologies. Insights from a global survey initiative. (Staff discussion paper / Bank of Canada 2021-7), Ottawa, 44 S.

Abstract

"The Bank of Canada, together with a global network of central banks, recently surveyed more than 6,000 firms from around the world. Using the survey data, this paper assesses the effects of digitalization on firms’ pricing and employment decisions. Specifically, we examine firms’ expectations about how their adoption of digital technologies—such as e-commerce, cloud computing, big data, 3-D printing, the Internet of Things, robotics and artificial intelligence— will affect their prices and hiring plans. Digital technologies influence firms’ operations in several ways that can often offset each other. This makes it difficult to pin down the overall impact on prices. Survey results for Canada suggest that some firms expect some downward pressure on prices from (1) efficiency gains, for example from automation, made possible by digital technology and (2) increased online competition and cost compression in the supply chain. Other firms expect that the value added to their products from adopting digital technologies will allow them to charge higher prices. In addition, some firms anticipate that they will have to pass on the costs of adoption to customers. Firms also expect a marginal negative effect on their employment over the next three years as a result of technology-induced automation or productivity gains. This negative effect will largely be offset by more hiring of digital talent or to accommodate stronger sales. Using matching techniques to control for differences in sample size and composition as well as survey frames, we find that, compared with small and medium-sized firms, large firms are more likely to adopt digital technologies and more likely to expect negative effects on both employment and prices" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Georgieff, Alexandre & Anna Milanez (2021): What happened to jobs at high risk of automation? (OECD social, employment and migration working papers 255), Paris, 67 S. DOI:10.1787/10bc97f4-en

Abstract

"This study looks at what happened to jobs at risk of automation over the past decade and across 21 countries. There is no support for net job destruction at the broad country level. All countries experienced employment growth over the past decade and countries that faced higher automation risk back in 2012 experienced higher employment growth over the subsequent period. At the occupational level, however, employment growth has been much lower in jobs at high risk of automation (6%) than in jobs at low risk (18%). Low-educated workers were more concentrated in high-risk occupations in 2012 and have become even more concentrated in these occupations since then. In spite of this, the low growth in jobs in high-risk occupations has not led to a drop in the employment rate of low-educated workers relative to that of other education groups. This is largely because the number of low-educated workers has fallen in line with the demand for these workers. Going forward, however, the risk of automation is increasingly falling on low-educated workers and the COVID-19 crisis may have accelerated automation, as companies reduce reliance on human labour and contact between workers, or re-shore some production." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Georgieff, Alexandre & Raphaela Hyee (2021): Artificial intelligence and employment: New cross-country evidence. (OECD social, employment and migration working papers 265), Paris, 60 S. DOI:10.1787/c2c1d276-en

Abstract

"Recent years have seen impressive advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and this has stoked renewed concern about the impact of technological progress on the labour market, including on worker displacement. This paper looks at the possible links between AI and employment in a cross-country context. It adapts the AI occupational impact measure developed by Felten, Raj and Seamans (2018[1]; 2019[2]) – an indicator measuring the degree to which occupations rely on abilities in which AI has made the most progress – and extends it to 23 OECD countries. The indicator, which allows for variations in AI exposure across occupations, as well as within occupations and across countries, is then matched to Labour Force Surveys, to analyse the relationship with employment. Over the period 2012-2019, employment grew in nearly all occupations analysed. Overall, there appears to be no clear relationship between AI exposure and employment growth. However, in occupations where computer use is high, greater exposure to AI is linked to higher employment growth. The paper also finds suggestive evidence of a negative relationship between AI exposure and growth in average hours worked among occupations where computer use is low. While further research is needed to identify the exact mechanisms driving these results, one possible explanation is that partial automation by AI increases productivity directly as well as by shifting the task composition of occupations towards higher value-added tasks. This increase in labour productivity and output counteracts the direct displacement effect of automation through AI for workers with good digital skills, who may find it easier to use AI effectively and shift to non-automatable, higher-value added tasks within their occupations. The opposite could be true for workers with poor digital skills, who may not be able to interact efficiently with AI and thus reap all potential benefits of the technology." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Guerrero, María Luisa Pérez & Miguel Rodríguez-Piñero Royo (2021): Social security for Spain's platform workers: Self-employed or employee status? In: International social security review, Jg. 74, H. 3/4, S. 177-194. DOI:10.1111/issr.12283

Abstract

"Bisherige Studien zum Schutz von Plattformarbeitnehmern in Spanien haben sich auf Fahrradkuriere konzentriert, die Mahlzeiten zu Kunden nach Hause liefern und deren Dienstleistungen über einige der bekanntesten Plattformen der sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Szene des Landes angeboten werden. Die meisten dieser Arbeitnehmer sind durch das System der sozialen Sicherheit für Selbstständige gedeckt. In einem Urteil des Obersten Gerichtshofs vom 25. September 2020 wurde das Verhältnis zwischen Glovo und seinen Kurieren jedoch als Angestelltenverhältnis gewertet. Dieses Urteil hat die Perspektiven für digitale Plattformen verändert und dazu geführt, dass die spanische Regierung die Plattformarbeit in Spanien nun reguliert. Dennoch gelten die staatlichen Regeln nur für Kuriere, obwohl auch viele andere Beschäftigtengruppen in derselben Lage sind. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der derzeitigen Stellung der spanischen Plattformbeschäftigten innerhalb des Systems der sozialen Sicherheit und mit den jüngsten Gerichtsurteilen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Haidar, Julieta & Miska Keune (Hrsg.) (2021): Work and Labour Relations in Global Platform Capitalism. (ILERA Publication series), Cheltenham: Elgar, 288 S. DOI:10.4337/9781802205138

Abstract

"This engaging and timely book provides an in-depth analysis of work and labour relations within global platform capitalism with a specific focus on digital platforms that organise labour processes, known as labour platforms. Well-respected contributors thoroughly examine both online and offline platforms, their distinct differences and the important roles they play for both large transnational companies and those with a smaller global reach." (Author's abstract, © Edward Elgar Publishing) ((en))

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Haslberger, Matthias (2021): Routine-biased technological change does not always lead to polarisation: Evidence from 10 OECD countries, 1995–2013. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 74. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2021.100623

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Im, Zhen Jie & Kathrin Komp-Leukkunen (2021): Automation and public support for workfare. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 31, H. 4, S. 457-472. DOI:10.1177/09589287211002432

Abstract

"Automation has permeated workplaces and threatens labour in the production process. Concurrently, European governments have expanded workfare which imposes stringent conditions and sanctions on unemployed workers after the onset of austerity. We explore how automation risk affects workfare support. Recent research finds that most routine workers ‘survive’ in their routine jobs. Despite avoiding unemployment, routine workers may face the threat of status decline as automation erodes the value of routine work. They may respond by differentiating themselves from lower-ranked social groups such as unemployed workers. Such boundary drawing may manifest views that the unemployed are less deserving of welfare. We thus posit that routine workers may support workfare to assuage their fears of status decline. We further explore if worsening economic hardship, proxied as rising unemployment rates over time, increases their support for workfare. We conducted pooled and multilevel analyses using data from the European Social Survey. We find that routine workers significantly support workfare. We also find that routine workers support workfare when economic hardship worsens, but oppose it when conditions ameliorate. Findings suggest that status threat is an important channel by which automation risk may affect workfare support, but its impact depends on social context, hence yielding country-differences. Worsening economic hardship may exacerbate routine workers’ status decline fears, and intensify their harsh views against unemployed workers. Automation risk may thus have a greater impact on workfare support under such conditions. Policymakers can use these findings to assess how workfare may be publicly received and under various economic conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jacqueson, Catherine (2021): Platform work, social protection and flexicurity in Denmark. In: International social security review, Jg. 74, H. 3/4, S. 39-59. DOI:10.1111/issr.12277

Abstract

"Sind die „Arbeitnehmer“ von Online-Plattformen wirksam und angemessen gegen soziale Risiken und gegen Arbeitsmarktrisiken geschützt? Der Artikel untersucht diese grundlegende Frage vor dem Hintergrund des dänischen Arbeitsmarkts, der dafür bekannt ist, dass die Arbeitsplatzunsicherheit hoch, das System der sozialen Sicherheit jedoch eher großzügig ist. Die Autorin kommt zum Schluss, dass das gesetzliche System der sozialen Sicherheit Dänemarks eine notwendige Abfederung gegen Risiken bietet, aber auch Schutzlücken aufweist, was die Deckungswirksamkeit und die Leistungsangemessenheit des Systems in Frage stellt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Kariel, Joel (2021): Job Creators or Job Killers? Heterogeneous Effects of Industrial Robots on UK Employment. In: Labour, Jg. 35, H. 1, S. 52-78. DOI:10.1111/labr.12192

Abstract

"There is concern about robots taking our jobs. This analysis looks at the impact of industrial robot adoption in the UK. Using a novel instrument to deal with endogeneity of robot adoption, estimates suggest that higher robot use is associated with increased employment and some evidence of a positive effect on part-time pay, contrary to evidence from other countries. However, there is a large amount of heterogeneity across industries. The results show that industrial robots have directly replaced workers in automobile manufacturing. On the other hand, they have had positive effects on other areas of the labour market such as services." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Klump, Rainer, Anne Jurkat & Florian Schneider (2021): Tracking the rise of robots: A survey of the IFR database and its applications. (MPRA paper / University Library of Munich 110390), München, 73 S.

Abstract

"Robots are continuously transforming industrial production worldwide and thereby also inducing changes in a variety of production-related economic and social relations. While some observers call this transformation an unprecedented "revolution", others regard it as a common pattern of capitalist development. This paper contributes to the literature on the effects of the rise of industrial robots in three ways. Firstly, we describe the historic evolution and organizational structure of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), which collects data on the international distribution of industrial robots by country, industry, and application from industrial robot suppliers worldwide since 1993. Secondly, we extensively analyze this IFR dataset on industrial robots and point out its specificities and limitations. We develop a correspondence table between the IFR industry classification and the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision 4 and shed some light on the price development of industrial robots by compiling data on robot price indices. We further compute implicit depreciation rates inherent to the operational stocks of robots in the IFR dataset and find an average depreciation rate of aggregate robot stocks between 4% and 7% per year between 1993 and 2019. Moreover, tracking the share of industrial robots that are not classified to any industry or application we find that their share in total robot stocks has sharply declined after 2005. We also compare IFR data with other data sources such as UN Comtrade data on net imports and unit prices of industrial robots or data on robot adoption from firm-level surveys in selected countries. Thirdly, we provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical research on industrial robots that is based on the IFR dataset. We identify four important strands of research on the rise of robots: (i) patterns of robot adoption and industrial organization, (ii) productivity and growth effect of robot adoption, (iii) its impact on employment and wages, and (iv) its influence on demographics, health, and politics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kogan, Leonid, Dimitris Papanikolaou, Lawrence D. W. Schmidt & Bryan Seegmiller (2021): Technology-Skill Complementarity and Labor Displacement: Evidence from Linking Two Centuries of Patents with Occupations. (NBER working paper 29552), Cambridge, Mass, 66 S. DOI:10.3386/w29552

Abstract

"We construct new technology indicators using textual analysis of patent documents and occupation task descriptions that span almost two centuries (1850–2010). At the industry level, improvements in technology are associated with higher labor productivity but a decline in the labor share. Exploiting variation in the extent certain technologies are related to specific occupations, we show that technological innovation has been largely associated with worse labor market outcomes—wages and employment—for incumbent workers in related occupations using a combination of public-use and confidential administrative data. Panel data on individual worker earnings reveal that less educated, older, and more highly-paid workers experience significantly greater declines in average earnings and earnings risk following related technological advances. We reconcile these facts with the standard view of technology-skill complementarity using a model that allows for skill displacement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Koster, Sierdjan & Claudia Brunori (2021): What to do when the robots come? Non-formal education in jobs affected by automation. In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 42, H. 8, S. 1397-1419. DOI:10.1108/IJM-06-2020-0314

Abstract

"Purpose: Ongoing automation processes may render a fair share of the existing jobs redundant or change their nature. This begs the question to what extent employees affected invest in training in order to strengthen their labour market position in times of uncertainty. Given the different national labour market regimes and institutions, there may be an important geographical dimension to the opportunities to cope with the challenges set by automation. The purpose of this study is to address both issues. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from the 2016 European labour Force Survey, the authors estimate with logit and multi-level regression analyses how the automation risk of a worker's job is associated with the propensity of following non-formal education/training. The authors allow this relationship to vary across European countries. Findings: The results show that employees in jobs vulnerable to automation invest relatively little in training. Also, there are significant differences across Europe in both the provision of training in general and the effect of automation on training provision. Originality/value: While there is quite a lot of research on the structural labour market effects of automation, relatively little is known about the actions that employees take to deal with the uncertainty they are faced with. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of such mechanisms underlying the structural macro-level labour-market dynamics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Kremer, Monique, Robert Went & Godfried Engbersen (2021): Better Work. The Impact of Automation, Flexibilization and Intensification of Work. (Research for Policy), Cham: Imprint: Springer, X, 204 S. DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78682-3

Abstract

"This is an Open Access book. How can we make work better? It is an important question, one that the Dutch government, employers' organizations and trade unions have been grappling with. People work to make money. But work also inspires self-respect, shapes our identity and gives us a sense of belonging – especially when the work we do is good. Good work is essential to prosperity in the broadest sense: to the quality of life we experience as individuals, to the economy and to society as a whole. Work in the Netherlands could be better. In Better Work. The automation, flexibilization and intensification of work, the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy offers nine recommendations to help all workers gain more control over their money, their work and their lives – the three basic conditions of good work. While the primary responsibility for good work lies with employers, the government can help through legislation and regulations, supervision and subsidies, and through its tenders." (Provided by publisher)

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Lechowski, Grzegorz (2021): Die Industriecloud als zweite Chance. Europas neuer Anlauf in der globalen Plattformökonomie. In: WZB-Mitteilungen H. 171, S. 35-37.

Abstract

"In der Plattformökonomie haben europäische Unternehmen den Anschluss an die globale Konkurrenz verloren. Die jetzt aufkommende Welle der industriegetriebenen Digitalisierung wird aber neue Chancen für Plattforminnovationen in Europa mit sich bringen. Da die Innovationspotenziale einheimischer Technologieunternehmen allerdings eher begrenzt sind, dürften die neuen digitalen Industriepolitiken der EU und einzelner Mitgliedsstaaten entscheidend für die Entwicklung des europäischen Industriecloud-Sektors sein. Sein Erfolg könnte dabei den Weg zu einer pluralistischeren globalen Plattformökonomie eröffnen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Magoga-Sabatier, Sabrine & Anne-Sylvie Dupont (2021): Social security coverage for platform workers in Switzerland: A middle way? In: International social security review, Jg. 74, H. 3/4, S. 195-216. DOI:10.1111/issr.12284

Abstract

"Dieser Artikel vergleicht die Deckung der sozialen Sicherheit von Selbstständigen und Angestellten, die in der Schweiz für digitale Plattformen arbeiten. Es wird auf die Besonderheiten eingegangen, die in der Schweiz zu einer Verlangsamung der Reaktion der Sozialversicherungsgesetzgebung auf neu entstehende Arbeitsformen geführt haben, und die im Fallrecht umgesetzten Lösungen werden zusammengefasst. Diese Lösungen werden nun zwar genauer angepasst, tendieren aber allgemein zu einer Neueinstufung dieser Arbeitsverhältnisse als lohnabhängige Beschäftigung. Schließlich werden die verfügbaren Optionen diskutiert, die sich trotz des Zögerns der Schweizer Behörden, politische Schritte einzuleiten, um diese neuen Arbeitsformen mit ihrem bedeutenden wirtschaftlichen Potenzial zu fördern, ergeben, während der Gesetzgeber gleichzeitig dem Risiko prekärer Arbeit vorzubeugen versucht." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Marta, Fana & Giangregorio Luca (2021): Routine-biased technical change can fail. Evidence from France. (JRC working papers series on labour, education and technology 2021,14), Sevilla, 42 S.

Abstract

"The paper studies the determinants of wage differentials over time within jobs in France, detailing the contribution of different set of explanatory factors by means of a Recentred Influence Function, to estimate the effect of a set of covariates at different point of the wage distribution. We simultaneously test the contribution of tasks performed by workers and organisational methods at the firm level, labour market institutions and individual characteristics. We do so by exploiting a unique database at the worker level, the French Enquête Complémentaire Emploi: Conditions de travail, between 2005 and 2016, which covers also monthly wages. Main findings support the hypothesis according to which wages differentials along the wage distribution are almost entirely explained by contractual and work arrangements rather than tasks and organisational practices. Overall evidence run against the main argument of the Routine Bias Technical Change hypothesis" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Martindale, Nicholas & Vili Lehdonvirta (2021): Can labour market digitalization increase social mobility? Evidence from a European survey of online platform workers. (SocArXiv papers), 21 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/54aqh

Abstract

"Children tend to inherit their parents’ social class through the types of jobs they get. However, digital technologies are now transforming the way labour markets work. Candidates are increasingly screened using algorithmic decision making. Skills are validated with online tests and customer feedback ratings. Workplace communications take place over digital media. Could these transformations be undermining the advantages that have accrued to workers with posh accents, family connections, and expensively acquired educational qualifications? We examine this question with survey data from the online (remote) platform economy, a labour market segment in which these digital transformations have progressed furthest (N = 983). The results reveal that online platform workers come largely from privileged class backgrounds. Class also influences (via education) what types of online occupations workers do, from professional services to data entry. However, class background has surprisingly little influence on job quality, which is instead shaped by individual digital metrics such as feedback ratings. These findings cannot be fully reconciled with theories of a shift towards meritocracy nor with theories of a persisting influence of class origins. Instead, labour market digitalization may be decoupling inherited occupation from job quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Martins-Neto, Antonio, Nanditha Mathew, Pierre Mohnen & Tania Treibich (2021): Is There Job Polarization in Developing Economies? A Review and Outlook. (CESifo working paper 9444), München, 45 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses the evidence of job polarization in developing countries. We carry out an extensive review of the existing empirical literature and examine the primary data sources and measures of routine intensity. The synthesis of results suggests that job polarization in emerging economies is only incipient compared to other advanced economies. We then examine the possible moderating aspects preventing job polarization, discussing the main theoretical channels and the existing empirical literature. Overall, the literature relates the lack of polarization as a natural consequence of limited technology adoption and the offshoring of routine, middle-earning jobs to some host developing economies. In turn, the limited technology adoption results from suboptimal capabilities in those economies, including the insufficient supply of educated workers. Finally, we present the main gaps in the literature in developing economies and point to the need for more micro-level studies focusing on the impacts of technology adoption on workers' careers and studies exploring the adoption and use of technologies at the firm level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Moll, Benjamin, Lukasz Rachel & Pascual Restrepo (2021): Uneven Growth: Automation's Impact on Income and Wealth Inequality. (NBER working paper 28440), Cambridge, MA, 45 S. DOI:10.3386/w28440

Abstract

"The benefits of new technologies accrue not only to high-skilled labor but also to owners of capital in the form of higher capital incomes. This increases inequality. To make this argument, we develop a tractable theory that links technology to the personal income and wealth distributions – and not just that of wages – and use it to study the distributional effects of automation. We isolate a new theoretical mechanism: automation increases inequality via returns to wealth. The flip side of such return movements is that automation is more likely to lead to stagnant wages and therefore stagnant incomes at the bottom of the distribution. We use a multi-asset model extension to confront differing empirical trends in returns to productive and safe assets and show that the relevant return measures have increased over time. Automation accounts for part of the observed trends in income and wealth inequality and macroeconomic aggregates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Montebovi, Saskia (2021): Accommodating platform work as a new form of work in Dutch social security law: New work, same rules? In: International social security review, Jg. 74, H. 3/4, S. 61-83. DOI:10.1111/issr.12278

Abstract

"In den Niederlanden sind die Rechte der sozialen Sicherheit von Plattformbeschäftigten noch immer nicht formell verankert. Derzeit leitet sich das Sozialschutzniveau aller Arten von Beschäftigten direkt von ihrer arbeitsrechtlichen Einstufung ab. Da es in den Niederlanden weiterhin an besonderen gesetzlichen Vorgaben für Plattformbeschäftigte fehlt, insbesondere was das Arbeitsrecht und das Recht der sozialen Sicherheit anbelangt, gibt die aktuell bestehende Gesetzgebung den Weg vor. Dies bedeutet, dass Plattformbeschäftigte entweder als Angestellte mit dem entsprechenden weitreichenden Schutzpaket oder aber als Selbstständige mit einem eher beschränkten Sozialschutz betrachtet werden. Für die Mehrheit der Plattformbeschäftigten wird derzeit die zweite Option angewendet. Dennoch deuten die jüngsten Entwicklungen auf mögliche Verbesserungen in der Sozialversicherungssituation niederländischer Plattformbeschäftigter hin." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons)

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Montobbio, Fabio, Jacopo Staccioli & Marco Vivarelli (2021): Labour-saving automation and occupational exposure: A text-similarity measure. (UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2021,44), Maastricht, 37 S.

Abstract

"This paper represents one of the first attempts at building a direct measure of occupational exposure to robotic labour-saving technologies. After identifying robotic and LS robotic patents retrieved by Montobbio et al. (2022), the underlying 4-digit CPC definitions are employed in order to detect functions and operations performed by technological artefacts which are more directed to substitute the labour input. This measure allows to obtain fine-grained information on tasks and occupations according to their similarity ranking. Occupational exposure by wage and employment dynamics in the United States is then studied, complemented by investigating industry and geographical penetration rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Montobbio, Fabio, Jacopo Staccioli, Maria Enrica Virgillito & Marco Vivarelli (2021): Labour-saving automation and occupational exposure: a text-similarity measure. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 987), Essen, 37 S.

Abstract

"This paper represents one of the first attempts at building a direct measure of occupational exposure to robotic labour-saving technologies. After identifying robotic and LS robotic patents retrieved by Montobbio et al. (2022), the underlying 4-digit CPC definitions are employed in order to detect functions and operations performed by technological artefacts which are more directed to substitute the labour input. This measure allows to obtain fine-grained information on tasks and occupations according to their similarity ranking. Occupational exposure by wage and employment dynamics in the United States is then studied, complemented by investigating industry and geographical penetration rates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Muckenhuber, Johanna, Martin Griesbacher, Josef Hödl & Laura Zilian (Hrsg.) (2021): Disruption der Arbeit? Zu den Folgen der Digitalisierung im Dienstleistungssektor. Frankfurt: Campus, 260 S.

Abstract

"Wie wirken sich die zunehmende Verbreitung und die verstärkte Abhängigkeit von Produkten und Prozessen der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik auf die Beschäftigten aus? Welche Rationalisierungs- und Automatisierungspotenziale bieten Digitalisierung und »disruptive Technologien«, etwa mobile Roboter, Big Data und künstliche Intelligenz? Welche ökonomischen und gesundheitlichen Folgen ziehen sie nach sich? Wie verändern sich dadurch die Arbeitsplätze und -bedingungen? Dieser Band verschafft einen interdisziplinären Überblick über die Folgen der Digitalisierung am Arbeitsmarkt im privaten wie öffentlichen Service- und Dienstleistungsbereich." (Autorenreferat, © 2021 - campus Verlag)

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O'Higgins, Niall & Luis Pinedo Caro (2021): Crowdwork for Young People: Risks and Opportunities. (IZA discussion paper 14933), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"In recent years, crowdworking has emerged as a small but rapidly growing source of employment and income principally for young(er) people. Here, we build on previous work in identifying the determinants of crowdworkers' earnings. We focus on the reasons why young crowdworkers earn significantly higher hourly wages than their older counterparts. We show that this is due to the higher returns to experience accruing to younger crowd-workers. Educational attainment does not explain this age-based differential, as education is a negligible factor in determining crowdworkers' earnings. We also analyse why young women earn around 20% less than their male counterparts despite blind hiring. We confirm that this is partly explained by constraints on working time faced by women with children. The analysis also shows that 'freely chosen' crowdwork - as opposed to, young people crowd-working because of a lack of alternative employment opportunities - is conducive to higher levels of job satisfaction. Moreover, young crowdworkers in middle income countries earn less than their counterparts in high income countries but report higher levels of job satisfaction. This is entirely attributable to the lower quality of their options outside of crowdwork." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Parteka, Aleksandra, Joanna Wolszczak-Derlacz & Dagmara Nikulin (2021): How digital technology affects working conditions in globally fragmented production chains: evidence from Europe. (Working paper series A / GUT Faculty of Management and Economics 66), Gdańsk, 68 S.

Abstract

"This paper uses a sample of over 9.5 million workers from 22 European countries to study the intertwined effects of digital technology and cross-border production links on workers' wellbeing. We compare the social effects of technological change exhibited by three types of innovation: computerisation (software), automation (robots) and artificial intelligence (AI). To fully quantify work-related wellbeing, we propose a new methodology that corrects the information on remuneration by reference to such non-monetary factors as the work environment (physical and social), career development prospects, or work intensity. We show that workers' wellbeing depends on the type of technological exposure. Employees in occupations with high software or robots content face worse working conditions than those exposed to AI. The impact of digitalisation on working conditions depends on participation in global production. To demonstrate this, we estimate a set of augmented models for determination of working conditions, interacting technological factors with Global Value Chain participation. GVC intensification is accompanied by deteriorating working conditions - but only in occupations exposed to robots or software, not in AI-intensive jobs. In other words, we find that AI technologies differ from previous waves of technological progress - also in their impact on workers' wellbeing within global production structures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Reif, Magnus, Mewael F. Tesfaselassie & Maik H. Wolters (2021): Technological Growth and Hours in the Long Run: Theory and Evidence. (CESifo working paper 9140), München, 45 S.

Abstract

"Over the last decades, hours worked per capita have declined substantially in many OECD economies. Using a neoclassical growth model with endogenous work-leisure choice, we assess the role of trend growth slowdown in accounting for the decline in hours worked. In the model, a permanent reduction in technological growth decreases steady state hours worked by increasing the consumption-output ratio. Our empirical analysis exploits cross-country variation in the timing and the size of the decline in technological growth to show that technological growth has a highly significant positive effect on hours. A decline in the long-run trend of technological growth by one percentage point is associated with a decline in trend hours worked in the range of one to three percent. This result is robust to controlling for taxes, which have been found in previous studies to be an important determinant of hours. Our empirical finding is quantitatively in line with the one implied by a calibrated version of the model, though evidence for the model's implication that the effect on hours works via changes in the consumption-output ratio is rather mixed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))