Workers' Predictions of Work Automation: Which Workers are Concerned About Automation Vulnerability?

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2019-08

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Abstract

Workforce automation occurs when machines replace human workers. Recently, new developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer and information technologies allow for automation in many industries and occupations, which may threaten workers’ subjective expectations of job security. Much research indicates that perceived job insecurity, the subjective feeling that one is at risk of losing their job, is problematic at the personal and societal level. Perceived job insecurity can lead to diminished work performance and dedication to work organizations, poor mental and physical health of workers, and a myriad of other detrimental outcomes. Research also indicates that the incidence of perceived job insecurity is especially prevalent among racial/ethnic minority workers and, increasingly, among women. Currently, there is little research on the link between workers’ perceptions of job security regarding the threat of automation—a concept I refer to as automation-based job insecurity—and most studies do not examine the relationship between marginality (like being a racial/ethnic minority or female worker) and the experience of automation-based job insecurity. In a series of binary logistic regression models I used data from the PEW Research Center from their 2015 study, Internet, Science, & Technology Project, to examine how secure racial/ethnic minority and female workers feel in their jobs considering the threat of automation, relative to their White and male counterparts. In this study, I use three different conceptualizations of automation-based insecurity. Generally, I find that Latino and Black workers have higher incidences of automation-based job insecurity than Whites. However, my results indicate that there is no difference in reports of automation-based job insecurity between women and men. The findings from this research suggest that racial/ethnic status is important when it comes to working individuals’ perceptions of job insecurity considering the threat of automation. I also find that the effects for race are somewhat lessened after accounting for workplace characteristics such as work sector and activities performed on the job.

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Keywords

Perceived Job Insecurity, Automation

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