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 indices
of routine, abstract, social, and physical tasks, which we combine with industry-level
robotization exposure. Our conceptual framework builds on the insight that robotization
simultaneously replaces, creates, and modifies workers’ tasks and studies how these
forces impact workers’ job content. We rely on instrumental variable techniques and show
that robotization reduces physically demanding activities. Yet, this reduction in manual
work does not coincide with a shift to more challenging and interesting tasks. Instead,
robotization makes workers’ tasks more routine, while diminishing the opportunities for
cognitively challenging work and human contact. The adverse impact of robotization on
social tasks is particularly pronounced for highly skilled and educated workers. Our study
offers 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 the
mechanisms underpinning the impact of robotization on labor markets.