Ronald Bachmann

RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research

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About

Ronald Bachmann is a leading labour economist whose research focuses on the intersection of technological change, labour market dynamics, and institutional frameworks. His most influential work examines the impact of industrial robots on worker transitions across Europe, a topic of pressing relevance in the age of automation. In his highly cited 2024 study, which has already garnered 24 citations, Bachmann and his co-authors analyse worker flows across 16 European countries from 2000 to 2017. The research reveals nuanced effects: while robot exposure leads to small negative effects on job separations overall, it shows no significant impact on job findings. Crucially, Bachmann identifies labour costs as a major driver of cross-country differences, explaining why automation’s effects vary so widely across Europe. This work, which builds on earlier versions from 2022, has become a key reference for understanding how institutions mediate technology’s labour market consequences. Bachmann’s contributions are vital for students and researchers seeking to grasp the complex, non-deterministic relationship between automation and employment, offering evidence that policy and institutional context matter as much as the technology itself.