Digital transformation in the federal states: Regional sector and occupational structures shape the substitution potentials

Abstract

"We have calculated the substitution potentials of occupations - i.e. the share of tasks in an occupation that are substitutable by computers or computer-controlled machines - for the first time for the technological possibilities in 2013. Since many new technologies have become market-ready, we have updated the substitution potentials for the year 2016. The proportion of employees in occupations with a high substitution potential, i.e. when more than 70 percent of jobs are replaceable, has increased significantly in all German states. However, the update shows hardly any shifts between the regions: In Berlin, still the fewest number of employees is affected (approximately 15 per cent) and in Saarland, the highest (approximately 30 per cent). The regional sector structure, but also regional differences in the occupational composition of the sectors determine the differences between the federal states. The substitution potentials only describe the current technological possibilities. However, whether and how these potentials are realised depends on a number of other factors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Dengler, K., Matthes, B. & Wydra-Somaggio, G. (2018): Digitalisierung in den Bundesländern: Regionale Branchen- und Berufsstrukturen prägen die Substituierbarkeitspotenziale. (IAB-Kurzbericht 22/2018), Nürnberg, 8 p.