Dear colleagues,

The Department of Economics cordially invites you to the WU Economics Research Seminar on Wednesday, January 11^th, with

Katja Mann

(Copenhagen Business School)

on

"Automation and Low-skill Labor"

Abstract: An increase in the supply of low-skill workers potentially affects robot adoption at the firm-level by alleviating labor shortages. We assess this claim by exploiting an exogenous change in the labor supply induced by a large influx of immigrants into Danish municipalities. Using the Danish employer-employee matched dataset over the period 1995-2019, we show in a shift-share regression that a larger share of migrants in a municipality leads to fewer imports of robots at the firm-level. We rationalize this finding in a simple model of robot adoption in which robots and low-skill workers are substitutes.

Date: Wednesday, January 11^th

Time: 4.30 to 6 pm (CET)

Location: building TC, 3^rd floor, room TC.3.07

With best regards,

Harald Oberhofer

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Univ.-Prof. Dr. Harald Oberhofer

Department of Economics 

WU Vienna University of Economics and Business

Phone: +43/1/31336-4984

Email: harald.oberhofer@wu.ac.at

Webpage: https://www.wu.ac.at/ie/mitarbeiter/harald-oberhofer/

Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO)

Phone: +43/1/7982601-468

Email: harald.oberhofer@wifo.ac.at

Webpage: http://www.wifo.ac.at/harald_oberhofer