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Automatability of Occupations, Workers' Labor-Market Expectations, and Willingness to Train

Author

Listed:
  • Lergetporer, Philipp

    (Technical University of Munich)

  • Wedel, Katharina

    (Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

  • Werner, Katharina

    (ifo Institute, University of Munich)

Abstract

We study how beliefs about the automatability of workers' occupation affect labor-market expectations and willingness to participate in further training. In our representative online survey, respondents on average underestimate the automation risk of their occupation, especially those in high-automatability occupations. Randomized information about their occupations' automatability increases respondents' concerns about their professional future, and expectations about future changes in their work environment. The information also increases willingness to participate in further training, especially among respondents in highly automatable occupation (+five percentage points). This uptick substantially narrows the gap in willingness to train between those in high- and low-automatability occupations.

Suggested Citation

  • Lergetporer, Philipp & Wedel, Katharina & Werner, Katharina, 2023. "Automatability of Occupations, Workers' Labor-Market Expectations, and Willingness to Train," IZA Discussion Papers 16687, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16687
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brosch, Hanna & Lergetporer, Philipp & Schoner, Florian, 2025. "Worker Beliefs about Firm Training," IZA Discussion Papers 18186, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Falck, Oliver & Guo, Yuchen & Langer, Christina & Lindlacher, Valentin & Wiederhold, Simon, 2024. "Training, Automation, and Wages: International Worker-Level Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 17503, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Maria A. Cattaneo & Christian Gschwendt & Stefan C. Wolter, 2024. "How Scary is the Risk of Automation? Evidence from a Large Survey Experiment," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0213, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    4. Cattaneo, Maria A. & Gschwendt, Christian & Wolter, Stefan C., 2025. "How scary is the risk of automation? Evidence from a large-scale survey experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    5. Falck, Oliver & Guo, Yuchen & Langer, Christina & Lindlacher, Valentin & Wiederhold, Simon, 2026. "Firm training, automation, and wages: International worker-level evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(3).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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