Induced Automation Innovation: Evidence from Firm-Level Patent Data

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hemous, David; Olsen, Morten; Zanella, Carlo; Dechezlepretre, Antoine
• 署名单位: University of Zurich; University of Copenhagen; Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD)
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/734778
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 1975-2028
• 关键词: machines; TECHNOLOGY; workers; GROWTH; robots; input; share; TRADE; COUNT; wages

摘要

Do higher wages induce more automation innovation? We identify automation patents in machinery. We show that a higher automation intensity predicts a decline in routine tasks across US sectors. Then, we estimate how innovating firms respond to changes in their downstream firms' low- and high-skill wages. We compute these wages by combining macroeconomic data on 41 countries with innovating firms' global market exposure. Higher low-skill wages increase automation innovation (but not other machinery innovation), with an elasticity of 2-5. Finally, we show that the German Hartz labor market reforms reduced automation innovations by foreign firms more exposed to Germany.