Digitization inequality: how robotization shapes gendered perceived pay fairness in China.

Objective: This study aims to examine the gendered effects of robotization on workers' perceived pay fairness (PPFs) in the Chinese manufacturing industry. It specifically investigates how robotization is associated with gender disparities in PPFs and explores the mediating roles of wage dynamics and skill development in shaping these outcomes.

Method: We analyzed survey data from 28,470 manufacturing workers in Guangdong, China, using ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between robotization and perceived pay fairness. Instrumental variable techniques were used to address potential endogeneity. Mediation analyses assessed the roles of wages and skill levels.

Results: Robotization is positively associated with perceived pay fairness among workers, with a stronger effect for men than for women. This gender gap is mainly explained by greater wage gains for men. Wage growth significantly mediates the relationship between robotization and PPFs for both genders, but the effect is weaker for women. While robotization raises skill levels for both men and women, only among men do increased skills modestly reduce the positive effect of robotization on PPFs; for women, skill development shows no significant impact.

Discussion: These results highlight persistent gender disparities in the benefits of robotization, with male workers reporting greater perceived gains in pay fairness. The weaker effect for female workers is mainly due to smaller wage increases and limited impact of skill improvements. The study suggests that policies should address gender wage gaps in robotized workplaces and support women in recognizing and utilizing their skills.