Toshiaki Iizuka

National Bureau of Economic Research, The University of Tokyo

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Toshiaki Iizuka is a leading empirical economist whose research illuminates the transformative role of robotics in the service sector, with a particular focus on labor markets and productivity. His groundbreaking work on Japanese nursing homes represents one of the first rigorous, establishment-level studies of service sector automation, challenging the manufacturing-centric narrative of robotics research. In his highly cited 2021 study (22 citations), Iizuka demonstrated that robot adoption in nursing homes actually *increases* overall employment by augmenting the workforce rather than replacing it—a counterintuitive finding with profound policy implications. His 2024 follow-up (8 citations) further dissects this dynamic, showing how robots shift the composition of nursing tasks and boost facility-level productivity. By leveraging geographic variation in government robot subsidies as a natural experiment, Iizuka provides credible causal evidence on how automation reshapes care work. His research is vital for policymakers grappling with aging populations and labor shortages, offering a nuanced view of technology as a complement to human caregivers rather than a threat. Iizuka’s work bridges labor economics, health economics, and innovation studies, making him a pivotal voice in understanding the future of work in service industries.