{
  "title": "Automation, Skills and the Future of Work: What do Workers Think?",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, December 20, 2019",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/index.md",
  "summary": "We exploit a survey data set that contains information on how 11,000 workers across advanced and emerging market economies perceive the main forces shaping the future of work. In general, workers feel more positive than negative about automation, especially in emerging markets.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Study exploits a survey data set containing information on how 11,000 workers across advanced and emerging market economies perceive the main forces shaping the future of work.\n- Publication: IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2019/288; Volume: 2019; Issue: 288; Pages: 32; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513519906.001; Stock No: WPIEA2019288; ISBN: 9781513519906; ISSN: 1018-5941.\n- Authors: Carlos Mulas-Granados, Richard Varghese, Vizhdan Boranova, Alice deChalendar, Judith Wallenstein.\n- Date: December 20, 2019."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings on perceptions of automation",
      "content": "- General sentiment:\n  - Workers feel more positive than negative about automation, especially in emerging markets.\n- Groups with more negative perceptions:\n  - Older workers.\n  - Poorer workers.\n  - Workers more exposed to job volatility.\n  - Workers from countries with higher levels of robot penetration.\n- Groups with more positive perceptions:\n  - Workers with higher levels of job satisfaction.\n  - Workers with higher educational attainment.\n  - Workers from countries with stronger labor protection.\n- Associations with attitudes toward adaptation and policy:\n  - Workers with positive perceptions of automation tend to respond that re-education and retraining will be needed to adapt to rapidly evolving skill demands.\n  - These workers expect governments to have a role in shaping the future of work through protection of labor and new forms of social benefits.\n  - The demand for protection and benefits is more significant among women and workers that have suffered job volatility."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Implications for skills and labor policy",
      "content": "- Skills and training:\n  - Re-education and retraining are viewed by positively disposed workers as necessary to adapt to rapidly evolving skill demands.\n- Role of government:\n  - Expectation that governments should shape the future of work through labor protection and new forms of social benefits.\n- Distributional considerations:\n  - Policy responses should account for heterogeneity in perceptions: older, poorer, and job-volatility-exposed workers—especially in countries with high robot penetration—are more negative and may need targeted support.\n  - Women and workers who have experienced job volatility express stronger demand for protection and benefits."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subject coverage and keywords",
      "content": "- Subject areas: Automation, Education, Emerging technologies, Labor, Labor markets, Technology.\n- Keywords included in the source: Africa, Automation, Education, Emerging technologies, employment characteristic, Europe, Future of Work, Global, job happiness, Labor markets, middle-age worker, more-on-the job training, Reskilling, Retraining, Robotization, worker, WP.\n\nSource: IMF Working Papers, \"Automation, Skills and the Future of Work: What do Workers Think?\", December 20, 2019.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: Carlos Mulas-Granados, Richard Varghese, Vizhdan Boranova, Alice deChalendar, Judith Wallenstein",
    "Published: December 20, 2019",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513519906.001",
    "Study exploits a survey data set containing information on how 11,000 workers across advanced and emerging market economies perceive the main forces shaping the future of work.",
    "Publication: IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2019/288; Volume: 2019; Issue: 288; Pages: 32; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513519906.001; Stock No: WPIEA2019288; ISBN: 9781513519906; ISSN: 1018-5941.",
    "Authors: Carlos Mulas-Granados, Richard Varghese, Vizhdan Boranova, Alice deChalendar, Judith Wallenstein.",
    "Date: December 20, 2019.",
    "General sentiment:",
    "Groups with more negative perceptions:",
    "Groups with more positive perceptions:",
    "Associations with attitudes toward adaptation and policy:",
    "Skills and training:",
    "Role of government:",
    "Distributional considerations:",
    "Subject areas: Automation, Education, Emerging technologies, Labor, Labor markets, Technology.",
    "Keywords included in the source: Africa, Automation, Education, Emerging technologies, employment characteristic, Europe, Future of Work, Global, job happiness, Labor markets, middle-age worker, more-on-the job training, Reskilling, Retraining, Robotization, worker, WP.",
    "**Working Paper**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Working Paper",
      "role": "paper",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/wp/2019/wpiea2019288-print-pdf.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2019/wpiea2019288-print-pdf.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2019/wpiea2019288-print-pdf.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/12/20/automation-skills-and-the-future-of-work-what-do-workers-think-48791/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-18T16:19:27.279Z"
}