Automation and Human Capital Adjustment
Giuseppe Di Giacomo, Benjamin Lerch · The Journal of Human Resources · 11 Dec 2023
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Abstract
Abstract This paper analyzes the link between automation and education by investigating the impact of the introduction of industrial robots on college enrollment in the US. We exploit exogenous variation in the adoption of robots across US local labor markets and show that for every additional robot adopted four individuals enroll in college. This result is driven by rising enrollment rates in local community colleges. We also observe a shift in graduations towards more applied fields. Finally, we show that the increase in college enrollment is primarily due to reduced opportunity costs, rather than an increase in the college wage premium.
About this publication
Leading field journal. A leading journal in economics or a neighbouring field (on the Tinbergen Institute’s A list or near the top of the RePEc ranking), or a top-rated computer-science venue.
Placed by: Leading field journal. How sources are ranked.
- Published
- 2023 (35 months ago)
- Citations
- 11 (OpenAlex)
Citations in context
11 citations — 12th percentile among the 8 indexed papers from 2023 in this collection. Citation counts favor older papers; this compares only same-year papers here, not the whole literature.
□ added to this collection in 2026.
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