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Automation, Trade Unions and Atypical Employment

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  • Lewandowski, Piotr

    (Institute for Structural Research (IBS))

  • Szymczak, Wojciech

    (Institute for Structural Research (IBS))

Abstract

We study the effect of the adoption of automation technologies – industrial robots, and software and databases – on the incidence of atypical employment in 13 EU countries between 2006 and 2018. We find that industrial robots significantly increase atypical employment share, mostly through involuntary part-time and involuntary fixed-term work. We find no robust effect of software and databases. We also show that the higher trade union density mitigates the robots' impact on atypical employment, while employment protection legislation appears to play no role. Using historical decompositions, we attribute about 1-2 percentage points of atypical employment shares to rising robot exposure.

Suggested Citation

  • Lewandowski, Piotr & Szymczak, Wojciech, 2024. "Automation, Trade Unions and Atypical Employment," IZA Discussion Papers 17544, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17544
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    1. Maciej Albinowski & Agata Rozszczypała, 2026. "The long-term effects of underemployment shocks on voluntary part-time employment," IBS Working Papers 03/2026, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.

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    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • 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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