Covid-19 and Implications for Automation

30 Pages Posted: 14 Jul 2020 Last revised: 16 Jun 2023

See all articles by Alex Chernoff

Alex Chernoff

Government of Canada - Bank of Canada

Casey Warman

Dalhousie University

Date Written: July 2020

Abstract

COVID-19 may accelerate the automation of jobs, as employers invest in technology to adapt the production process to safeguard against current and potential future pandemics. We identify occupations that have high automation potential and also exhibit a high degree of risk of viral infection. We then examine regional variation in terms of which U.S. local labor markets are most at risk. Next, we outline the differential impact that COVID-19 may have on automatable jobs for different demographic groups. We find that occupations held by U.S. females with mid to low levels of wages and education are at highest risk. Using comparable data for 25 other countries, we find women in this demographic are also at highest risk internationally.

Suggested Citation

Chernoff, Alex and Warman, Casey, Covid-19 and Implications for Automation (July 2020). NBER Working Paper No. w27249, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3649858

Alex Chernoff (Contact Author)

Government of Canada - Bank of Canada

234 Wellington Street
Ontario, K1A 0G9
Canada

Casey Warman

Dalhousie University ( email )

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5
Canada

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