The Industry 4.0 Development and Influence on Labour Migration in The Visegrad Group Countries

Abstract:

This study analyses changes in the labour markets in the Visegrad Group countries (V4) under the influence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) with regard to labour immigration. Industrial production in the countries concerned accounts for a significant part of GDP, and most vacancies in the individual markets concern unskilled positions requiring secondary education. The low level of citizens’ interest in such positions results in employment of workers from other countries. The changes taking place in the industrial sector, caused to a large extent by automation and robotization of processes, lead to gradual replacement of the workforce with machines. This study focuses on an analysis of the relationship between the immigrant workforce with selected characteristics and macroeconomic indicators reflecting the impact of the industrial revolution in V4 countries. The analysis was based on basic and publicly available statistical measures taken from Eurostat and European Commission databases.