COVID-19 and Implications for Automation

COVID-19 may accelerate the automation of jobs, as employers invest in technology to adapt the production process to safeguard against current and potential future pandemics. We identify occupations that have high automation potential and also exhibit a high degree of risk of viral infection. We then examine regional variation in terms of which local labor markets are most at risk. Next we outline the differential impact that COVID-19 may have on automatable jobs for different demographic groups. We find that occupations held by mid-educated females are at highest risk, notably including some healthcare, office and administrative support, and protective service occupations.