Overview
There is a growing concern that automation (i.e., the introduction of robots) will "take labor away from people." This concern is not new, and has been around for at least a century. On the other hand, reverse causality is also a possibility in this relationship, i.e., the labor shortage may have promoted the introduction of automation and robots.
In this research project, we will examine the possibility of such reverse causality. Next, based on the premise that reverse causality also exists, we will clarify how the introduction of robots and automation have affected the macroeconomy, including the labor market.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of studies on the impact of robots, but most of them are based on data from the 1990s onward and cover the entire world at large. This research project, on the other hand, focuses on Japan in the 1980s, when, historically speaking, the introduction of robots first became active. By clarifying why robot investment became active in Japan in the 1980s, we hope to provide some answers to an important theme in macroeconomics: under what conditions does innovation occur?
March 8, 2022 - August 31, 2024
(During the research project period, the research activity period is set from March 8, 2022 to February 29, 2024, and the data usage reporting period is set from March 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024.)
