ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND GENDERED LABOR DIVISION: INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVES

The research assesses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the gender structure of the labor market through a comparative political economy analysis of Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, and India. Using indices of employment vulnerability to AI-driven automation, it analyzes the extent to which women’s labor market participation is susceptible to automation and structural transformations induced by AI technologies. In Bulgaria, women are predominantly concentrated in sectors with a high degree of automation susceptibility - particularly in administrative, clerical, and retail occupations - placing them at a disadvantage due to the potential substitutability of their tasks by AI-based systems. Higher-income women exhibit greater labor mobility toward occupations that demonstrate higher resilience to AI— such as education, healthcare, and public administration - where human interaction and contextual judgment remain difficult to automate. The comparative analysis reveals a structural similarity between Bulgaria and Romania, shaped by shared institutional characteristics and labor market configurations. In contrast, Germany’s well-developed vocational training system and more integrated labor market mitigate the adverse labor market effects of AI. India stands out with a distinct profile marked by technological exclusion, largely driven by the predominance of informal employment. The findings highlight the critical role of institutional frameworks and human capital in shaping gendered labor market outcomes in the context of technological transformation, and emphasize the need for targeted and inclusive labor market policies.