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Robot, trade and employment : Unravelling the relationship within the European context

Franco, Chiara LU and Suppressa, Francesco LU (2025) In Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 73. p.407-422
Abstract

The paper deals with the effects that robot adoption in a country may generate in other trade-related countries. We concentrate on the Top 5 European economies as robot adopters over the period from 1995 to 2018 (Italy, Germany, France, Spain, UK) by testing whether robot adoption affects employment dynamics also beyond borders. To reach this goal we develop a composite indicator that captures both the penetration of industrial robots within these economies and the export reliance of other European nations on them. Our findings show a positive association between Top 5 robot adoption and several measures of employment outcomes in other European countries even though this result is mainly driven by low income countries. We thus infer... (More)

The paper deals with the effects that robot adoption in a country may generate in other trade-related countries. We concentrate on the Top 5 European economies as robot adopters over the period from 1995 to 2018 (Italy, Germany, France, Spain, UK) by testing whether robot adoption affects employment dynamics also beyond borders. To reach this goal we develop a composite indicator that captures both the penetration of industrial robots within these economies and the export reliance of other European nations on them. Our findings show a positive association between Top 5 robot adoption and several measures of employment outcomes in other European countries even though this result is mainly driven by low income countries. We thus infer empirically the prevalence of a productivity effect as opposed to a reshoring effect within the highly integrated European market.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Employment, Robot, Trade
in
Structural Change and Economic Dynamics
volume
73
pages
16 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85218494435
ISSN
0954-349X
DOI
10.1016/j.strueco.2025.02.004
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
239877ea-59a7-40e6-b4d3-b68595549610
date added to LUP
2025-06-09 10:35:44
date last changed
2025-06-09 10:36:47
@article{239877ea-59a7-40e6-b4d3-b68595549610,
  abstract     = {{<p>The paper deals with the effects that robot adoption in a country may generate in other trade-related countries. We concentrate on the Top 5 European economies as robot adopters over the period from 1995 to 2018 (Italy, Germany, France, Spain, UK) by testing whether robot adoption affects employment dynamics also beyond borders. To reach this goal we develop a composite indicator that captures both the penetration of industrial robots within these economies and the export reliance of other European nations on them. Our findings show a positive association between Top 5 robot adoption and several measures of employment outcomes in other European countries even though this result is mainly driven by low income countries. We thus infer empirically the prevalence of a productivity effect as opposed to a reshoring effect within the highly integrated European market.</p>}},
  author       = {{Franco, Chiara and Suppressa, Francesco}},
  issn         = {{0954-349X}},
  keywords     = {{Employment; Robot; Trade}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{407--422}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Structural Change and Economic Dynamics}},
  title        = {{Robot, trade and employment : Unravelling the relationship within the European context}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.strueco.2025.02.004}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.strueco.2025.02.004}},
  volume       = {{73}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}