DG ECFIN Fellowship-Initiative 2018-2019 - The productivity challenge: jobs and incomes in the dawning era of intelligent robots

Client/Funding Institution

European Commission, DG Economic and Financial Affairs

Abstract

Two important but conflicting longer-term trends can currently be observed: On the one hand - at least in some publications - the emergence of new technologies is expected to have a strong negative impact on employment in individual countries. On the other hand, there is a demographic development in the European countries (especially in Eastern Europe), which in the medium to long term indicates a decline in the total population and an even stronger decline in the working age population and thus a sharp decline in the labour supply. Against this background, the potential employment effects of new technologies are examined, particularly with regard to their labour-saving effects, and confronted with current demographic trends. As a further step, it is analysed to what extent the new technologies have the potential to increase labour productivity so that the potential labour shortage can be compensated.

Duration

October 2018 - June 2019

wiiw team Leader

Robert Stehrer

wiiw Staff

Manuela Engleitner, Sandra M. Leitner

Publications

Keywords: new technologies, employment, robots, European countries, Eastern Europe, employment effects, labour-saving effects, demographic trends, labour productivity

Countries covered: Central and East Europe, Europe

Research Areas: Sectoral studies

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