# A Better Integration of Industrial Robots in Romanian Enterprises and the Labour Market
## 2 Recent Evolutions in the Robotics Market
### Global Robotics Market: Main Dimensions, Considerations, and Impact  
Robot density is one of the metrics used to quantify the number of robots per 10,000 workers within a specific geographical area or industry. When it comes to the global robotics market, based on the metrics of manufacturing industry-related robot density, a global record was established in 2019. According to the International Federation of Robotics' 2020 World Robotics Report [20], the average worldwide manufacturing-related robot density reached the level of 113 robots per 10,000 workers (Figure 1). As highlighted by the International Federation of Robotics in 2019 [21] (IFR Report, 2019), the top five most automated countries worldwide were Singapore (918 robots/10,000 workers), South Korea (868 robots/10,000 workers), Japan (364 robots/10,000 workers), Germany (346 robots/10,000 workers), and Sweden (274 robots/10,000 workers). These results are consistent and relevant with respect to Statista's 5-year analysis of sales volumes (million US dollars) of robots. According to the analysis geographically, Asia Pacific represents the leading region in the robotics field, surpassing both Europe and America in terms of robot sales volume (Figure 2). The position paper entitled \"The Impact of Robots on Productivity, Employment and Jobs\", published by the International Federation of Robotics Frankfurt, Germany (in 2017, updated in April 2018) [22], states that the acceptance of robotics in the global labor market should be considered an important opportunity for future economic and social  
Figure 1: Worldwide manufacturing industry-related robot density in 2020. Source: Author’s contribution, based on International Federation of Robotics, [[https://ifr.org/news/robot-race-the-worlds-top-10-automated-countries/](https://ifr.org/news/robot-race-the-worlds-top-10-automated-countries/)]([https://ifr.org/news/robot-race-the-worlds-top-10-automated-countries/](https://ifr.org/news/robot-race-the-worlds-top-10-automated-countries/)), accessed on 12 January 2022. Figure 2: Sales volume of industrial robots by continent. Source: Author’s contribution, based on Statista, [[https://www.statista.com/study/64326/robotics/](https://www.statista.com/study/64326/robotics/)]([https://www.statista.com/study/64326/robotics/](https://www.statista.com/study/64326/robotics/)), accessed on 19 March 2022.  
development. The main argument used to support this statement refers to how the use of robotics contributes to the improvement of labor productivity and business competitiveness, and furthermore leads to an increase in the aggregate demand for products and services; thus, generating more diverse employment opportunities that require higher levels of skill. These statements are questioned [4], who assert how automation may instead lead to the substitution of human resources with robots, as \"at the margin, capital performs certain tasks more cheaply than labor used to\". In response, the International Federation of Robots Reports (IFR) highlights that higher use of robots will lead to a more specialized labor market that will allow employees to better appreciate the importance of core competencies and high skills such as \"critical thinking, problem-solving, and people management\". Therefore, we should observe an increase in the demand for new jobs that require high levels of skill and capabilities, such as smart factory managers, solution planners, and production technology engineers [20]. Additionally, examining data from the OECD's latest available Report [2] regarding the future of work, we noticed that, during 2012-2019, the employment rate had an ascending trend line (an average of 12% growth rate across all countries and occupations analyzed).