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The Labor Market Impact of Digital Technologies

Author

Listed:
  • Sangmin Aum
  • Yongseok Shin

Abstract

We investigate the impact of digital technology on employment patterns in Korea, where firms have rapidly adopted digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the internet of things (IoT). By exploiting regional variations in technology exposure, we find significant negative effects on high-skill and female workers, particularly those in non-IT (information technology) services. This contrasts with previous technological disruptions, such as the IT revolution and robotization, which primarily affected low-skill male workers in manufacturing. In IT services, although high-skill employment declined, vacancy postings for high-skill workers increased, implying a shift in labor demand toward newer skill sets. These findings highlight both the labor displacement and the new opportunities generated by digital transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sangmin Aum & Yongseok Shin, 2025. "The Labor Market Impact of Digital Technologies," NBER Working Papers 33469, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33469
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    Cited by:

    1. Jheelum Sarkar, 2025. "Do High-Premium Fields Buffer Labor Market Shocks? Evidence from India," Papers 2508.12471, arXiv.org, revised May 2026.
    2. Yongheng Hu, 2025. "Heterogeneous Agents in the Data Economy," Papers 2509.09656, arXiv.org.
    3. Yongheng Hu, 2025. "The Nexus between Dataization and Technological Progress in General Equilibrium of Macroeconomics," Papers 2507.13274, arXiv.org, revised May 2026.
    4. Yanne Gabriella Velomasy & Hongsheng Zhang & Laixun Zhao, 2026. "Imported Intermediate Digital Inputs and Income Inequality," Discussion Paper Series DP2026-01, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.

    More about this item

    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

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