Georg Graetz
Papers
5
Total Citations
1,996
H-Index
4
About
Georg Graetz is an economist whose research sits at the intersection of labor economics, technological change, and macroeconomics, with a particular focus on how automation and robotics reshape labor markets and economic productivity. He is best known for his landmark study "Robots at Work," conducted alongside Guy Michaels, which represents the first rigorous empirical analysis of industrial robots' economic contributions across seventeen countries between 1993 and 2007. Leveraging novel panel data and innovative instrumental variables, the paper has accumulated an extraordinary 1,839 citations, establishing it as a foundational reference in the economics of automation. Graetz and Michaels demonstrated that while industrial robots significantly boosted productivity and economic growth, their net effect on employment remains a nuanced and open question — a finding that has informed both academic debate and public policy discussion worldwide. Beyond robotics, Graetz has also examined the phenomenon of "jobless recoveries," exploring how routine-task displacement during recessions contributes to persistently weak employment growth in the United States. Through rigorous empirical work and accessible policy-oriented writing, Graetz has become an important voice in understanding how modern technology fundamentally transforms work and economic performance.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Robots at Work1,839 citations · 2018
- 2Robots at Work127 citations · 2015
- 3Is Modern Technology Responsible for Jobless Recoveries?21 citations · 2017
- 4Robots at work: the impact on productivity and jobs7 citations · 2015
- 5