Pain or anxiety? The health consequences of rising robot adoption in China

Abstract

The rising adoption of industrial robots is radically changing the role of workers in the production process. Robots can be used for some of the more physically demanding and dangerous production work, thus reducing the possibility of worker injury. On the other hand, robots may replace workers, potentially increasing worker anxiety about job safety. We investigate how physical and mental health outcomes vary with exposure to robots for manufacturing workers in China. We find a link between robot exposure and better physical health of workers. However, we also find that robot exposure is associated with more mental stress.