The Transformation of Tasks, Skills and Jobs Under Additive Manufacturing: Evidence From Job Vacancies, 2014-2019

Additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing, emerged in the 1980s, but during the past decade the use of additive manufacturing in production of parts and finished goods has grown rapidly. This emerging technology is expected to transform the location of production, supply chains, transportation systems, the look and feel of products, and organizations. Economists Avner Ben-Ner and Ainhoa Urtasun-Alonso will examine differences in tasks and skills of core production employees—engineers, technicians and operators—in additive manufacturing and traditional manufacturing jobs. They ask: Do task attributes such as complexity and interdependence differ under additive manufacturing and traditional manufacturing? To what extent do requirements for cognitive, technical and other skills differ between additive manufacturing and traditional manufacturing?