The global average for industrial robots per 10,000 workers increased to 74 robots in 2016 from 66 robots in 2015, a 12 percent increase, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: There Were 74 Industrial Robots per 10,000 Workers Globally in 2016, up From 66 in 2015, a 12 Percent Increase

Automation’s effect on labor demand has long been seen by the public as negative. Japanese researchers challenged this perception when they examined robots’ impact on employment across a range of Japanese industries from 1978 to 2017.

Fact of the Week: In Japan, a 1 Percent Increase in Robot Adoption Due to Lower Prices Leads to a 0.28 Percent Increase in Employment

The effects of robots on wages and employment can be said to have a “U shape”—lowering wages and employment initially, but with a diminishing impact over time, and then driving higher wages and more employment.

Fact of the Week: A 1 Percent Increase in the Use of Robots Eventually Leads to a 0.1 Percent Increase in Wages and a 0.06 Percent Increase in Employment

The automation of manufacturing industries is a major public concern due to the salience of layoffs that are directly attributed to robot adoption. But closer analysis of automation’s impacts generally reveals that these fears are overblown.

Fact of the Week: Increasing Industrial Robot Adoption Between 2000 and 2014 Increased Employment by 5 Percent and Value Added by 12 Percent

A working paper analyzed the effect that robot and tool adoption have on Brazilian workers and found that there were no statistically significant effects on employment or earnings for workers with at least a high school diploma.

Fact of the Week: Robot Adoption Among Brazilian Firms Did Not Result in Significant Job Losses

An October 2023 working paper found that a 1-percent increase in a proxy for robot exposure was associated with a 0.30 percentage point increase per year in productivity and a 0.15-percentage point increase per year in sales.

Fact of the Week: Robot Imports Improved Productivity of French Manufacturing Firms

The growth of artificial intelligence has stoked fears that industries beyond manufacturing could be significantly automated. This underscores the need to study the evidence about modern automation, especially because the facts frequently contradict common concerns.

Fact of the Week: European Manufacturers Added Five New Workers for Every Robot They Deployed From 1995 to 2015

While it may be tempting to focus on the direct job losses caused by robot adoption, it is wrong to conclude that automation constitutes a generalized threat to workers, either in manufacturing or in the broader economy. By choosing to automate, firms can increase their productivity, which allows them to expand and increase their employment.

Fact of the Week: Spanish Manufacturing Firms Increased Their Overall Employment by 10 Percent After Adopting Robots

Automation boosts labor productivity, which is key to long-run economic growth. A new study examines the impact of automation on labor productivity in nine manufacturing industries across 12 European countries from 1995 to 2005, comparing the number of robots in use in an industry with the amount it invests in non-ICT capital.

Fact of the Week: Each Industrial Robot Installed in Recent Years Created Between 13 and 16 Jobs

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Fact of the Week: There Were 74 Industrial Robots per 10,000 Workers Globally in 2016, up From 66 in 2015, a 12 Percent Increase

Fact of the Week: In Japan, a 1 Percent Increase in Robot Adoption Due to Lower Prices Leads to a 0.28 Percent Increase in Employment

Fact of the Week: A 1 Percent Increase in the Use of Robots Eventually Leads to a 0.1 Percent Increase in Wages and a 0.06 Percent Increase in Employment