When men lose jobs to robots, households buy more 'women's' goods

This paper used machine learning to track how economic shocks that affect one gender's job prospects change what heterosexual households buy. It turns out, when men's jobs are hit by robots, families spend more on things typically bought by single women, and more on goods for daughters than for sons.

Economists have long debated how shifts in individual earning power affect household spending. This paper shows a direct link: when one partner's economic standing changes, the household's purchasing patterns shift in measurable ways. It means broad economic trends like automation have specific, gendered impacts on what families consume, down to what they buy for their children.