The end of work feels near. How do people perceive the impact of digital technologies and automation?
Arntz M, Blesse S, Doerrenberg P (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Journal
Book Volume: 102
Article Number: 102897
DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102897
Abstract
Anxieties about technological change in the context of the labor market are a recurring historical phenomenon. Using customized survey data collected in 2019 in the US and Germany, prior to the recent wave of generative AI applications, we study how respondents perceive the impact of the digital (automation) technologies available at the time of the survey on the labor market. We document that a majority views digital technologies and automation as a major threat to overall employment and as a cause of rising inequality, while a quarter is concerned about their own labor market prospects. Providing scientific information on the likely labor market implications of digital technologies in a randomized experiment reduces these concerns. Yet, treatment responses depend on prior beliefs about the future of work, resulting in heterogeneous and opposing treatment effects on policy demand.
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Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Arntz, M., Blesse, S., & Doerrenberg, P. (2026). The end of work feels near. How do people perceive the impact of digital technologies and automation? Labour Economics, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102897
MLA:
Arntz, Melanie, Sebastian Blesse, and Philipp Doerrenberg. "The end of work feels near. How do people perceive the impact of digital technologies and automation?" Labour Economics 102 (2026).
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