<p>Daron Acemoglu has written a fair bit about the impacts of automation on labour markets. Bearing in mind that mechanization and "robotization" are different in important ways (with that importance increasing as AI and machine learning become more sophisticated and ubiquitous) you could use his work as a starting point.  Certainly, you'd be remiss not to cite it if you're writing a paper.</p>

<p>In <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w24196" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nber.org/papers/w24196</a>, Acemoglu outlines the challenges to the question you're asking and offers a framework of approach.  In <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.33.2.3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.33.2.3</a>, the framework is applied, and there are links to the data which you can look at for insight into how to measure this stuff.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T21:06:58.343Z
2020-02-06T21:06:58.343Z
heh
<p>Friend,</p>

<p>You can construct and capital(specifically equipment) intensity (capital[equipment]/labor[hours} ratio) measure which can be used as a proxy for automation.</p>

<p>It would be useful to calculate as by dividing capital[equipment] input index to the number of total hours worked for a giving sector in the economy. This ratio would indicates that capital services (input) are increasing relative to labor (hours worked) and/or that capital[equipment] is becoming more important in the production process relative to labor. </p>

<p>This statistic can be an indicator of the presence of automation as firms achieve labor productivity gains through the substitution of capital to labor. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T15:36:04.243Z
How would this separate the automation component of capital? As you say this would only “indicate that capital services are increasing relative to labor” and have no bearing on the concentration of automation
Brennan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T17:58:58.013Z
In this case we don't have a measure of robots.  So a good proxy would be to use capital but more specifically equipment  as robots would most likely fit into this category.    Sorry about not being more specific.     the more use of equipment instead of human labor (hours) would represent automation.
Mike J
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T20:57:47.507Z
It's not clear what level this work is being performed at (e.g., Masters' thesis or just motivation for a toy model), but in general it would be extremely difficult to argue that labour-augmenting technology improvements are a good instrument for the robot population.
heh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T21:20:22.500Z
True its not clear of the level of detail.  However, if there is no data available one need to find some sort of proxy.
Mike J
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T21:35:10.353Z
Im not convinced that this would work as a valid proxy, although, I can’t come up with a better one
Brennan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T21:38:05.280Z
I agree it's a difficult challenge.  But "we have to measure with something" isn't going to fly in most contexts.  Luckily, this is an active area of research and I tried to provide the OP with a place to start looking.  Hopefully it proves useful.
heh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-07T14:37:05.017Z
If there is a better idea then please share.  I encourage this.
Mike J
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-06T14:31:10.237Z
2020-02-06T18:49:42.737Z
2020-02-06T18:49:42.737Z
Mike J
<p>I'm writing a thesis where a key element is the degree of automation (for Switzerland) through time. </p>

<p>I was counting on the IFR to get those data but I need to pay 2000k to get them...
Does anyone have an idea of how to estimate that? maybe a proxy? I cannot think of anything...</p>

<p>Thank you for your help</p>

<macroeconomics><automation>
How to estimate Robot density in a country?
Pandora
# How to estimate Robot density in a country?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-06)

I'm writing a thesis where a key element is the degree of automation (for Switzerland) through time.

I was counting on the IFR to get those data but I need to pay 2000k to get them...
Does anyone have an idea of how to estimate that? maybe a proxy? I cannot think of anything...

Thank you for your help

**Tags:** macroeconomics, automation

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-06. Score: 2

Daron Acemoglu has written a fair bit about the impacts of automation on labour markets. Bearing in mind that mechanization and "robotization" are different in important ways (with that importance increasing as AI and machine learning become more sophisticated and ubiquitous) you could use his work as a starting point. Certainly, you'd be remiss not to cite it if you're writing a paper.

In <https://www.nber.org/papers/w24196>, Acemoglu outlines the challenges to the question you're asking and offers a framework of approach. In <https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.33.2.3>, the framework is applied, and there are links to the data which you can look at for insight into how to measure this stuff.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-06. Score: 0

Friend,

You can construct and capital(specifically equipment) intensity (capital[equipment]/labor[hours} ratio) measure which can be used as a proxy for automation.

It would be useful to calculate as by dividing capital[equipment] input index to the number of total hours worked for a giving sector in the economy. This ratio would indicates that capital services (input) are increasing relative to labor (hours worked) and/or that capital[equipment] is becoming more important in the production process relative to labor.

This statistic can be an indicator of the presence of automation as firms achieve labor productivity gains through the substitution of capital to labor.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: How would this separate the automation component of capital? As you say this would only “indicate that capital services are increasing relative to labor” and have no bearing on the concentration of automation  
> **username_2**: In this case we don't have a measure of robots.  So a good proxy would be to use capital but more specifically equipment  as robots would most likely fit into this category.    Sorry about not being more specific.     the more use of equipment instead of human labor (hours) would represent automation.  
> **username_1**: It's not clear what level this work is being performed at (e.g., Masters' thesis or just motivation for a toy model), but in general it would be extremely difficult to argue that labour-augmenting technology improvements are a good instrument for the robot population.  
> **username_2**: True its not clear of the level of detail.  However, if there is no data available one need to find some sort of proxy.  
> **username_3**: Im not convinced that this would work as a valid proxy, although, I can’t come up with a better one  
> **username_1**: I agree it's a difficult challenge.  But "we have to measure with something" isn't going to fly in most contexts.  Luckily, this is an active area of research and I tried to provide the OP with a place to start looking.  Hopefully it proves useful.  
> **username_2**: If there is a better idea then please share.  I encourage this.  

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