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Automation and Unemployment: Help is on the Way

Author

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  • Zeira, Joseph
  • Nakamura, Hideki
Abstract
This paper presents a model of technical change that combines two lines of research together. It is a task based model, in which automation turns labor tasks to mechanized ones, and there is also a continuous addition of new labor tasks, as in the expanding variety literature. We impose three simple restrictions on the model. The first is that all new tasks are adopted. The second is that all new automation innovations are adopted and the third is that the share of labor does not converge to zero in the long run. We show that these restrictions imply that unemployment due to automation is expected to converge to zero over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeira, Joseph & Nakamura, Hideki, 2018. "Automation and Unemployment: Help is on the Way," CEPR Discussion Papers 12974, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12974
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    3. Inhye Yoo & Chan-Goo Yi, 2022. "Economic Innovation Caused by Digital Transformation and Impact on Social Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Ratneswary Rasiah & Jason J Turner & Yew Foo HO, 2019. "The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Work Performance: Perceptions and Reflections from Academics in Malaysian Higher EducationObitat endiaest que," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 13(3), September.
    5. Ryosuke Shimizu & Shohei Momoda, 2020. "Does Automation Technology increase Wage?," KIER Working Papers 1039, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    6. Shimizu, Ryosuke & Momoda, Shohei, 2023. "Does automation technology increase wage?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Oliver Kovacs, 2019. "Big IFs in Productivity-Enhancing Industry 4.0," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-17, January.
    8. Guimarães, Luís & Mazeda Gil, Pedro, 2022. "Looking ahead at the effects of automation in an economy with matching frictions," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    9. Ryosuke Shimizu & Shohei Momoda, 2021. "Does Automation Technology increase Wage?," Discussion papers ron343, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Japan.
    10. Gravina, Antonio Francesco & Foster-McGregor, Neil, 2020. "Automation, globalisation and relative wages: An empirical analysis of winners and losers," MERIT Working Papers 2020-040, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    11. Juan E. Jacobo, 2022. "Back to the Surplus: An Unorthodox Neoclassical Model of Growth, Distribution and Unemployment with Technical Change," Papers 2211.14978, arXiv.org.
    12. M. Battisti & M. Del Gatto & A. F. Gravina & C. F. Parmeter, 2021. "Robots versus labor skills: a complementarity/substitutability analysis," Working Paper CRENoS 202104, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    13. ARAI Kosuke & FUJIWARA Ippei & SHIROTA Toyoichiro, 2021. "Robot Penetration and Task Changes," Discussion papers 21093, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Automation; Unemployment; Technical change; Growth; Labor income share;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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