Just Another Cog in the Machine? A Worker-Level View of Robotization and Tasks

Using survey data from 20 European countries, we construct novel worker-level indicesof routine, abstract, social, and physical tasks, which we combine with industry-levelrobotization exposure. Our conceptual framework builds on the insight that robotizationsimultaneously replaces, creates, and modifies workers’ tasks and studies how theseforces impact workers’ job content. We rely on instrumental variable techniques and showthat robotization reduces physically demanding activities. Yet, this reduction in manualwork does not coincide with a shift to more challenging and interesting tasks. Instead,robotization makes workers’ tasks more routine, while diminishing the opportunities forcognitively challenging work and human contact. The adverse impact of robotization onsocial tasks is particularly pronounced for highly skilled and educated workers. Our studyoffers a unique worker-centric viewpoint on the interplay between technology and tasks,highlighting nuances that macro-level indicators overlook. As such, it sheds light on themechanisms underpinning the impact of robotization on labor markets.