Research
Job market paper
Njekwa Ryberg, P. (2026). Agglomeration and worker autonomy. Working Paper.
Abstract:
This paper examines the impact of agglomeration on the routine intensity of work. Using detailed Swedish worker-level survey data on tasks and geocoded, linked employer-employee data with an instrumental variable framework, I find that local employment density increases the routine intensity of jobs. The effect is the strongest among highly educated white-collar workers in services in metropolitan areas. Building on the argument that the division of labor is limited by the extent of the market, I apply a mediation analysis showing that worker task specialization mediates the effect of employment density on routine intensity. The results suggest that agglomeration reshapes the organization of work through a finer division of labor, increasing task specialization and reducing worker autonomy in the process.
Peer-reviewed publications
Njekwa Ryberg, P. (2026). How local labour market skill relatedness and size moderate the impacts of automation. Regional Studies, 60(1).
Njekwa Ryberg, P. (2025). Manufacturing automation and its implications for local employment outcomes: Evidence from Sweden. Papers in Regional Science, 104(5).
Work in progress
Njekwa Ryberg, P., Bjerke, L., & Klaesson, J. Robots need people too: Regional skill disparities and automation diffusion.
Njekwa Ryberg, P., & Bjerke, L. Imputing Missing Occupation Codes in Administrative Data.
Njekwa Ryberg, P., D'Costa, S., & Larsson, J.P. Robots or Regions? Automation and the Geography of Wage Premia.
Njekwa Ryberg, P., Mellander, C., & Florida, R. AI and the city.