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Regimes of robotization in Europe

Author

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  • Reljic, Jelena
  • Cirillo, Valeria
  • Guarascio, Dario

Abstract

This work analyses the impact of robots on employment testing for the presence of different robotization regimes. Focusing on European manufacturing industries, we find that robot adoption positively affects total employment. Heterogeneous patterns are detected across both countries and occupational groups, however. The labour-friendly impact of robotization is detected only in core and service-oriented countries and for those at the top of the occupational structure (i.e. managers and technicians). In turn, peripheral countries and manual workers do not seem to benefit at all from robotization.

Suggested Citation

  • Reljic, Jelena & Cirillo, Valeria & Guarascio, Dario, 2023. "Regimes of robotization in Europe," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:232:y:2023:i:c:s0165176523003452
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111320
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mario Pianta & Jelena Reljic, 2022. "The good jobs-high innovation virtuous circle," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 783-811, October.
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    4. Cirillo, Valeria & Evangelista, Rinaldo & Guarascio, Dario & Sostero, Matteo, 2021. "Digitalization, routineness and employment: An exploration on Italian task-based data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(7).
    5. Fabien Petit & Florencia Jaccoud & Tommaso Ciarli, 2023. "Heterogeneous Adjustments of Labor Markets to Automation Technologies," CESifo Working Paper Series 10237, CESifo.
    6. Fernández-Macías, Enrique & Klenert, David & Antón, José-Ignacio, 2021. "Not so disruptive yet? Characteristics, distribution and determinants of robots in Europe," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 76-89.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hylke Dijkstra & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2025. "Robots, shoring patterns, and employment: What are the linkages?," wiiw Working Papers 267, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    2. Dario Guarascio & Alessandro Piccirillo & Jelena Reljic, 2024. "Will robot replace workers? Assessing the impact of robots on employment and wages with meta-analysis," LEM Papers Series 2024/03, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    3. Franco, Chiara & Suppressa, Francesco, 2025. "Robot, trade and employment: Unravelling the relationship within the European context," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 407-422.
    4. Stehrer, Robert, 2024. "The impact of ICT and intangible capital accumulation on employment growth and labour income shares," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 211-220.
    5. Marco De Simone & Dario Guarascio & Jelena Reljic, 2025. "The impact of robots on workplace injuries and deaths: Empirical evidence from Europe," LEM Papers Series 2025/03, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    6. Robert Stehrer, 2024. "Neue Technologien, Firmenperformance und Beschäftigung: Erste Analysen basierend auf österreichischen Firmendaten," wiiw Research Reports in German language 26, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    7. Guarascio, Dario & Reljic, Jelena & Stöllinger, Roman, 2025. "Diverging paths: AI exposure and employment across European regions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 11-24.
    8. Cetrulo, Armanda & Cirillo, Valeria & Landini, Fabio, 2025. "Labour, unions and R&D in Italian firms," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 262-281.
    9. Margherita Russo & Armanda Cetrulo & Annamaria Simonazzi, 2025. "Digitalization and automation in the automotive sector: the manifold role of lean production," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 15(4), pages 1129-1165, December.
    10. Mario Holzner, 2025. "Correction: Catalytic Industrial Policy—in concordia varietas," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 52(3), pages 837-844, September.
    11. Guarascio, Dario & Reljic, Jelena, 2025. "AI and employment in Europe," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    12. Chris Muris & Konstantin Wacker, 2022. "Estimating interaction effects with panel data," Papers 2211.01557, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2025.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    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
    • 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
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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