한국 기업의 내부노동시장 제도와 AI도입

This study analyzes the relationship between internal labor market (ILM) mechanisms and firm-level exposure to artificial intelligence (AI). Focusing on Korea’s dual and segmented labor market, it estimates AI exposure scores at the firm level and examines how the strength of ILM institutions shapes firms’ susceptibility to future AI adoption pressures. From a firm-specific skill demand perspective, the study theorizes ILMs as institutional arrangements that facilitate skill accumulation. It tests the hypothesis that firms with more developed ILMs are more likely to adopt AI in ways that enhance firm-specific competencies rather than substitute for labor. Using panel data from Korean firms, the analysis finds that companies with performance-oriented seniority wage systems and generous, well-structured welfare benefits are more likely to be exposed to AI-related pressures. Although causal inference is limited, the results suggest that firms with stronger ILM structures have greater incentives to adapt proactively to environments with high AI exposure. Specifically, wage profiles that combine seniority with performance, formalized seniority-based pay tables, the number of welfare benefits provided, and per capital welfare expenditures are all positively associated with AI exposure. These findings imply that firms with mature ILMs are more likely to leverage AI as a complementary tool to invest in human capital and strengthen firm-specific technologies rather than relying on automation for labor substitution. This challenges the dominant narrative of AI-induced displacement by highlighting a welfare- and skill-driven pathway to technological adaptation.