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Displaced or depressed? Working in automatable jobs and mental health

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvie Blasco

    (UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université)

  • Julie Rochut

    (INED - Institut national d'études démographiques, Caisse Nationale D'Assurance Vieillesse - Caisse Nationale D'Assurance Vieilless)

  • Benedicte Rouland

    (AUT - Auckland University of Technology, LEMNA - Laboratoire d'économie et de management de Nantes Atlantique - Nantes Univ - IAE Nantes - Nantes Université - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - Nantes - Nantes Université - pôle Sociétés - Nantes Univ - Nantes Université)

Abstract

Automation may destroy jobs and change the labor demand structure, thereby potentially impacting workers' mental health. Implementing propensity score matching on French individual survey data, we find that working in an automatable job is associated with a 3 pp increase in the probability of suffering from mental disorders. Fear of automation through fear of job loss, expectation of arequired change in skills, and fear of unwanted job mobility seem to be relevant channels to explain the findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvie Blasco & Julie Rochut & Benedicte Rouland, 2024. "Displaced or depressed? Working in automatable jobs and mental health," Post-Print hal-04543541, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04543541
    DOI: 10.1111/irel.12356
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://nantes-universite.hal.science/hal-04543541v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Ashani Abayasekara & Sonja de New & David Johnston, 2025. "Worker Impacts from the Shutdown of a National Manufacturing Industry," Papers 2025-15, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University.

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