Robots may be all the rage, but American workers are stressed out by working with them, according to a new report.
Companies are increasingly turning to robots to help ease labor shortages, improve productivity, and decrease safety issues. While they certainly bring much to the table, they also tend to stress out their human counterparts – at least in the US.
The issue stems from the relatively lax labor laws in the US, creating an environment where workers feel less secure about their future employment when robots are an option.
“Robots are good for physical health – they usually take on jobs that are physically intensive and may even hurt you. But in the U.S., there’s this understanding that the robots may take your job because there’s a less protective labor market,” study author Osea Giuntella, assistant professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh, told UPI.
In contrast to the US, workers in Germany appear to have little to no concern over the introduction of robots in the workplace.
“German workers were better protected in their work from German robots,” Giuntella added. “In Germany, the introduction of robots was not related to job displacement. Instead, new and young workers were brought to other sectors of the industry, while the job security of incumbent workers was not affected.”
The study illustrates a significant concern companies will need to address as continue to deploy robots.
