Data and Code For: Firm-Level Automation: Evidence from the Netherlands

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) James Bessen, Boston University; Maarten Goos, Utrecht University; Anna Salomons, Utrecht University; Wiljan van den Berge, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis

Version: View help for Version V1

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import			08/27/2020 09:09:AM
programs			08/27/2020 09:22:AM
README.pdf	application/pdf	83.3 KB	08/27/2020 05:07:AM
README.tex	text/x-matlab	3.9 KB	08/27/2020 04:54:AM

Project Citation:

Bessen, James, Goos, Maarten, Salomons, Anna, and van den Berge, Wiljan. Data and Code For: Firm-Level Automation: Evidence from the Netherlands. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2020-09-10. https://doi.org/10.3886/E120789V1

Project Description

Summary:

In this paper, we use a Dutch firm-level survey on automation expenditures linked to administrative records covering the universe of firms in the Netherlands to consider firm-level automation over 2000-2016. While we do not observe the specific automation technology being adopted, ours is an omnibus measure allowing us to study automation across all private non-financial sectors of the economy.

We first define automation events at the firm-level by exploiting the lumpy nature of automation investments. Next, we show that firms that have automation events experience higher employment growth and revenue growth than firms that do not have these events, consistent with findings for robotics. Using a descriptive event study at the firm level, however, we see that firms do save labor after investing in automation technology, while wages continue to rise. Importantly, these effects arise among both manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms, indicating that this is not specific to technologies like robotics.

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:
      D22 Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
      D24 Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
      J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
      L60 Industry Studies: Manufacturing: General
      L80 Industry Studies: Services: General
      O32 Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

Data Type(s): program source code

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V1 [2020-09-10]

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