{
  "title": "Pandemics and Automation: Will the Lost Jobs Come Back?",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, January 15, 2021",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/01/15/pandemics-and-automation-will-the-lost-jobs-come-back-50000",
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  "summary": "COVID-19 has exacerbated concerns about the rise of the robots and other automation technologies. This paper analyzes empirically the impact of past major pandemics on robot adoption and inequality.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Author: Tahsin Saadi Sedik  \n- Date: January 15, 2021  \n- Series: Working Paper No. 2021/011  \n- Issue: 011; Volume: 2021; Pages: 26  \n- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513566849.001  \n- ISBN: 9781513566849; ISSN: 1018-5941  \n- Subjects: Automation, Communicable diseases, COVID-19, Income inequality, Robotics  \n- Keywords: country-industry pair level, impact of pandemic, industry breakdown, Inequality., pandemic event, Pandemics, Robots, studies showing, WP"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key empirical findings",
      "content": "- Pandemic events accelerate robot adoption, especially when:\n  - the health impact is severe, and\n  - the pandemic is associated with a significant economic downturn.\n- Robots can raise productivity but may increase inequality by displacing low-skilled workers.\n- Following a pandemic, the increase in inequality over the medium term is larger for economies with:\n  - higher robot density, and\n  - greater increases in new robot adoption.\n- The paper concludes that concerns about increased automation amid the COVID-19 pandemic appear justified."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Analysis focus and methodology (as described)",
      "content": "- Empirical analysis of the impact of past major pandemics on:\n  - robot adoption, and\n  - inequality.\n- Unit of observation and approach referenced by keywords: country-industry pair level; industry breakdown."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Implications and interpretation",
      "content": "- Automation trends post-pandemic:\n  - Expect accelerated adoption of robots where pandemics have severe health and economic impacts.\n- Distributional consequences:\n  - Medium-term increases in inequality are correlated with pre-existing robot density and additional robot adoption following pandemics.\n- Policy-relevant takeaway:\n  - Trade-offs between productivity gains from robots and distributional impacts due to displacement of low-skilled workers are highlighted by the empirical findings.\n\nIMF Working Papers: Tahsin Saadi Sedik, \"Pandemics and Automation: Will the Lost Jobs Come Back?\", January 15, 2021, Working Paper No. 2021/011, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513566849.001\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/2021/01/15/pandemics-and-automation-will-the-lost-jobs-come-back-50000"
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    "Authors: Tahsin Saadi Sedik",
    "Published: January 15, 2021",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513566849.001",
    "Author: Tahsin Saadi Sedik",
    "Date: January 15, 2021",
    "Series: Working Paper No. 2021/011",
    "Issue: 011; Volume: 2021; Pages: 26",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513566849.001",
    "ISBN: 9781513566849; ISSN: 1018-5941",
    "Subjects: Automation, Communicable diseases, COVID-19, Income inequality, Robotics",
    "Keywords: country-industry pair level, impact of pandemic, industry breakdown, Inequality., pandemic event, Pandemics, Robots, studies showing, WP",
    "Pandemic events accelerate robot adoption, especially when:",
    "Robots can raise productivity but may increase inequality by displacing low-skilled workers.",
    "Following a pandemic, the increase in inequality over the medium term is larger for economies with:",
    "The paper concludes that concerns about increased automation amid the COVID-19 pandemic appear justified.",
    "Empirical analysis of the impact of past major pandemics on:",
    "Unit of observation and approach referenced by keywords: country-industry pair level; industry breakdown.",
    "Automation trends post-pandemic:",
    "Distributional consequences:",
    "Policy-relevant takeaway:",
    "**Working Paper**"
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