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This is the first study of what the effects of the increased use of industry robots have been on productivity and employment. The data material covers 17 countries, among these Sweden, and 14 industries between 1993 and 2007.
THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF AUTOMATISATION are subject to increasing attention. But despite this great interest, there are hardly any empirical studies of the economic effects of robotisation. Industry robots create a dramatic increase in the possibility of replacing human labour as compared to other kinds of machines. This is the first study of what the effects of the increased use of industry robots have been on productivity and employment. The data material covers 17 countries, among these Sweden, and 14 industries between 1993 and 2007.
PRICE FALL PAWED THE WAY FOR ROBOTS. The price of robots was halved in the period 1990 to 2005. The price fall was even larger if taking the quality increases into consideration. In 2005, a robot cost about a fifth of what it cost in 1990, adjusted for quality improvements. On average, there was an increase in the use of robots by 150 per cent in 1993–2007.
INCREASED OUTPUT AND PRODUCTIVITY. The increased use of robots contributed to an increase in yearly GDP growth and labour productivity of about 0.4 percentage points on average in the studied countries. This corresponds to more than a tenth of total GDP growth and more than a sixth of the growth in labour productivity in the period 1993–2007.
LOW-SKILL JOBS IN THE RISK ZONE. The total number of hours worked does not seem to have been affected by the increased automatisation. However, there are signs that robots decreased the number of working hours for low-skill labour and, to a certain extent, also for medium-skilled labour. The effect on hours worked for the high-quality labour force seems to be weakly positive, but the results are not as certain in this case.
AUTHOR Georg Graetz is a Researcher in Economics at Uppsala University and affiliated with London School of Economics. E-mail: georg.graetz@nek.uu.se.
Guy Michaels is a Researcher in Economics at London School of Economics. E-mail: g.michaels@lse.ac.uk.
Media impact
- Verkstäderna, 16/2 2016: Many people miss out a rapid payback for automation
- Verkstäderna 12/2 2016: Stenberg’s customers are keeping pace
- Automation, 26/1 2016: Germany is far ahead of Sweden in robot use
- Esbri, 15/15 2015: Book tip: Digital Innovation
- Arbetsmarknadsnytt, 7/12 2015: Sweden is lagging behind Germany in robotics
- Sundsvalls Tidning, 2/12 2015: Don’t be afraid of the robots – they are our friends
- Ny Teknik, 2/12 2015: Germany increases its lead over Sweden
- Oscarshamns-Tidningen, 1/12 2015: Robots take and create new jobs
- Sundsvalls Tidning, 30/11 2015: Working with robots
- Blekinge Läns Tidning, 27/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league
- Kristdemokraten, 25/11: 150 percent
- Västerbottens-Kuriren, 24/11 2015: Opportunities with robotization
- Bohusläningen, 24/11 2015: The machines take and give jobs
- Västerbottens-Kuriren, 24/11 2015: Susanne Nyström: Opportunities with robotization
- Upphandling24, 20/11 2015: No, robots have not yet pushed out human labor
- Arbetet, 20 nov 2015: 2,2 robots per million
- Hallandsposten, 20/11 2015: Do not fear robots at work
- Bohusläningen, 19/11 2015: Working with robots
- Hela Hälsingland 19/11 2015: Robot-workers are already in the labor market
- Motala & Vadstena Tidning, 19/11 2015: Promote robotization
- Trelleborgs Allehanda, 19/11 2015: Robots that work
- Kristianstadsbladet, 19/11 2015: Could a robot do your job?
- Tidningen Ångermanland, 19/11 2015: We should not fear robots in society
- Jönköpings-Posten, 19/11 2015: Robots for growth
- Ttela, 19/11 2015: “We should not fear robots in society”
- Bohusläningen, 19/11 2015: Robots will take our jobs
- Strömstads Tidning/Norra Bohuslän, 19/11 2015: Working with robots
- Jönköping-Posten, 18/11 2015: The robot provides growth
- Verkstadsforum.se, 18/11 2015: Robots take jobs from human labour, but they also create new ones
- Kristianstadsbladet, 18/11 2015: Could a robot do your job?
- Evertiq, 17/11 2015: Sweden far behind Germany in robotics
- Underhållsnyheter, 17/11 2015: Swedish industry is behind in robotics
- Västerbottens-Kuriren, 17/11 2015: The machines both give and take jobs
- Metro, 17/11 2015: Robotics. The machines both take and give jobs
- Värnamo Nyheter, 17/11 2015: Robots give and take jobs
- Vimmerby Tidning, 17/11 2015: Robots give and take jobs
- Gefle Dagblad, 17/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league
- Svenska Dabladet, 17/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league
- Nerikes Allehanda, 17/11 2015: The machines both give and take jobs
- Dagens Arena 17/11 2015: Robots can save the labor market
- Borås tidning, 16/11 2015: The machines take and give jobs
- Industrinyheter 16/11 2015: The machines take and give jobs
- Ny Teknik 16/11 2015: Germany increases its lead over Sweden in the robot league
- Affärsvärlden, 16/11 2015: Robots both take and give jobs
- Ny Teknik, 16/11 2015: Robots both take and give jobs
- Dagens Nyheter, 16/11 2015: The machines both take and give jobs
- Dagens PS, 16/11 2015: Research: Machines both take and give jobs
- TT Nyhetsbyrån, 16/11 2015: Fact: The study in brief
- Kollega, 16/11 2015: The robots do not take our jobs
- Ny teknik, 16/11 2015: Sweden behind in the robot league
- Kristianstadsbladet, 16/11 2015: Sweden behind in the robot league
- Verkstäderna, 16/11 2015: Swedish industry far behind Germany in robotics
- Dagens industri, 16/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league
- News 55, 16/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league
- TT Nyhetsbyrån, 16/11 2015: Sweden is behind in the robot league