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Labour-saving automation and occupational exposure: a text-similarity measure

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  • Montobbio, Fabio
  • Staccioli, Jacopo
  • Virgillito, Maria Enrica
  • Vivarelli, Marco

Abstract

This paper represents one of the first attempts at building a direct measure of occupational exposure to robotic labour-saving technologies. After identifying robotic and LS robotic patents retrieved by Montobbio et al. (2022), the underlying 4-digit CPC definitions are employed in order to detect functions and operations performed by technological artefacts which are more directed to substitute the labour input. This measure allows to obtain fine-grained information on tasks and occupations according to their similarity ranking. Occupational exposure by wage and employment dynamics in the United States is then studied, complemented by investigating industry and geographical penetration rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Montobbio, Fabio & Staccioli, Jacopo & Virgillito, Maria Enrica & Vivarelli, Marco, 2021. "Labour-saving automation and occupational exposure: a text-similarity measure," GLO Discussion Paper Series 987, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:987
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tommaso Rughi & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Climate change and labour-saving technologies: the twin transition via patent texts," LEM Papers Series 2023/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour-Saving Technology; Natural Language Processes; Labour Markets; Technological Unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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