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Do robots complement or substitute for older workers?

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  • Battisti, Michele
  • Gravina, Antonio Francesco

Abstract

The impact of robotization on labor market outcomes has been recently empirically investigated along several directions, including employment, wages and labor productivity. This work contributes to this literature by looking for heterogeneous effects of robots on the workforce, analyzed by age cohorts. Relying on a panel of data from IFR (2019) and EU KLEMS (2009) over the years 1994–2005, we find consistent evidence of higher complementarity between robots and older workers (hours worked by employees aged 50 and over), and a greater substitutability among robots and younger cohorts of the labor market. These findings are robust to age group disaggregation and specific capital price deflators.

Suggested Citation

  • Battisti, Michele & Gravina, Antonio Francesco, 2021. "Do robots complement or substitute for older workers?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:208:y:2021:i:c:s0165176521003414
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2021.110064
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nikolova, Milena & Cnossen, Femke & Nikolaev. Boris, 2022. "Robots, Meaning, and Self-Determination," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1191, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Belloc, Filippo & Burdin, Gabriel & Landini, Fabio, 2022. "Robots, Digitalization, and Worker Voice," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1038, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Lee Changkeun & Kim Olivia Hye, 2023. "Unions and Automation Risk: Who Bears the Cost of Automation?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(3), pages 843-851, July.
    4. Lihua Zhang & Tian Gan & Jiachen Fan, 2023. "Do industrial robots affect the labour market? Evidence from China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 787-817, July.
    5. Filippo Belloc & Gabriel Burdin & Fabio Landini, 2023. "Advanced Technologies and Worker Voice," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(357), pages 1-38, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Automation; Technology; Robots; Aging;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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