Robots, Firm Performance and Employment in Canada – Firm hiring more, rather than fewer workers

Recent improvements in robotics have rekindled ancient fears about the impact of robotics on humankind. Unfortunately, existing data seldom distinguishes robots from other types of automation, so research into their impact so far has been difficult. This article introduces research from a new Statistics Canada dataset, Robots!, on the impact of robots at the firm-level. The article examines the impact of robot investment on firm performance and employment at the enterprise level.

Investments in robots have been concentrated in the manufacturing sector, with the automotive industry making particularly large investments prior to the year 2008. Recent investments have been in robots with a broader range of capabilities performing tasks in a broader range of industries.

Robots raise firms’ productivity, but they are associated with the firm hiring more, rather than fewer workers. Robots appear to change the types of human skills firms require, however.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @ The Effect of Robots on Firm Performance and Employment