Analysing Labour-Based Estimates of Automation and Their Implications. A Comparative Approach from an Economic Competitiveness Perspective
Adrian Otoiu, Emilia Titan, Dorel Mihai Paraschiv, Vasile Dinu, Daniela Ioana Manea
Keywords:
automation, jobs, occupational choice, technological change, artificial intelligence, competitiveness
Abstract:
Given the advent of Industry 4.0 and the importance of labour-based automation in ensuring
competitiveness at the firm, regional cluster, or country level, the paper aims to explore, for
the first time, the features of several estimates of occupational/labour automation and to
assess the potential risks associated with it. A comparative analysis of the most well-established
estimates of labour automation, the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) degree of
automation estimates and Frey and Osborne’s future probabilities of automation was carried
out to see whether, and to what extent, these estimates are compatible. Results show significant
distributional differences between them, which are quantified into automation-triggered
disruption risks at the occupational level, as current levels of labour automation are, in some
cases, well below their future estimates. Work context features were used to derive a typology
of occupations, which can explain up to one-third of the current, and up to half of the future
levels of labour automation. Finally, we identified which occupations and occupational groups
are likely to be affected by the highest risk of automation-induced displacement and estimated
the magnitude of different disruption classes. Conclusions are compatible with other economywide
assessments of the impact of labour automation on the workforce, thus being valuable
inputs for corporate strategy, decision-makers and human resource planners as they address a
growing need for quantitative insights useful for adapting the labour force structure, workers’
skills, and the task content of occupations to the competitiveness requirements related to the
process of digitization in the Industry 4.0 context.
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 Analysing Labour-Based Estimates of Automation and Their Implications. A Comparative Approach from an Economic Competitiveness Perspective [PDF file] [Filesize: 650.31 KB]
 10.7441/joc.2022.03.08
Otoiu, A., Titan, E., Paraschiv, D. M., Dinu, V., & Manea, D. I. (2022). Analysing Labour-Based Estimates
of Automation and Their Implications. A Comparative Approach from an Economic Competitiveness
Perspective. Journal of Competitiveness, 14(3), 133–152. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2022.03.08
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