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Not so disruptive yet? Characteristics, distribution and determinants of robots in Europe

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This paper analyses data on industrial robots in European manufacturing sectors, focusing on their applications and characteristics, their distribution over countries and sectors and the main factors that are correlated with robot adoption such as wage levels and robot prices. We argue that, contrary to popular belief, the types of robots widely used in manufacturing today do not imply a discontinuity in terms of automation and labour replacement possibilities. Instead, current robot technology is better understood as the most recent iteration of industrial automation technologies that have existed for a very long time. In fact, these automation technologies arguably had their biggest employment impact generations ago, partially explaining changes in employment structures in agricultural and manufacturing sectors that go back to the Industrial Revolution. Thus, the potential employment effects of current robot technology are a priori limited.

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  • Enrique Fernandez-Macias & David Klenert & Jose-Ignacio Anton, 2020. "Not so disruptive yet? Characteristics, distribution and determinants of robots in Europe," JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology 2020-03, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:laedte:202003
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    Cited by:

    1. Matteo Sostero, 2020. "Automation and Robots in Services: Review of Data and Taxonomy," JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology 2020-14, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Antón, José-Ignacio & Fernández-Macías, Enrique & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2020. "Does Robotization Affect Job Quality? Evidence from European Regional Labour Markets," IZA Discussion Papers 13975, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Bekhtiar, Karim & Bittschi, Benjamin & Sellner, Richard, 2021. "Robots at Work? Pitfalls of Industry Level Data," IHS Working Paper Series 30, Institute for Advanced Studies.
    4. Li, Yaya & Zhang, Yuru & Pan, An & Han, Minchun & Veglianti, Eleonora, 2022. "Carbon emission reduction effects of industrial robot applications: Heterogeneity characteristics and influencing mechanisms," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. José-Ignacio Antón & David Klenert & Enrique Fernández-Macías & Maria Cesira Urzì Brancati & Georgios Alaveras, 2022. "The labour market impact of robotisation in Europe," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 28(3), pages 317-339, September.
    6. Matteo Sostero & Santo Milasi & John Hurley & Enrique Fernandez-Macias & Martina Bisello, 2020. "Teleworkability and the COVID-19 crisis: a new digital divide?," JRC Working Papers on Labour, Education and Technology 2020-05, Joint Research Centre.
    7. Fana, Marta & Villani, Davide, 2022. "Decomposing the Automotive Supply Chain: Employment, Value Added and Occupational Structure," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 407-419.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Robots; jobs; employment; low-skilled workers; inequality; European Union; economic activities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • 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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