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Individual Earnings, International Outsourcing and Technological Change: Evidence from Italy

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  • Chiara Broccolini
  • Alessia Lo Turco
  • Andrea Presbitero
  • Stefano Staffolani

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate empirically the relative effects of international outsourcing of materials and services and of ICT capital deepening on wage inequality between blue and white collars in the Italian manufacturing industry during the period 1985-1999. We merge an administrative data set on workers' wages and individual characteristics with data on imported inputs from Italian input-output tables and other sector-level variables. Our results confirm that both material and service outsourcing widen the skilled/unskilled wage gap while ICT capital deepening positively affects real wages regardless of the worker's status. However, important differences emerge when the overall sample is split between traditional and innovative sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Broccolini & Alessia Lo Turco & Andrea Presbitero & Stefano Staffolani, 2011. "Individual Earnings, International Outsourcing and Technological Change: Evidence from Italy," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 29-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:intecj:v:25:y:2011:i:1:p:29-46
    DOI: 10.1080/10168731003658744
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Thanos Fragkandreas, 2022. "Three Decades of Research on Innovation and Inequality: Causal Scenarios, Explanatory Factors, and Suggestions," Working Papers 60, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Feb 2022.
    2. Michele Raitano & Eleonora Romano & Pietro Zoppoli, 2016. "The sectorial intensity of production of renewable energy sources in Italy:measurement and effects on earnings," Working Papers 1, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    3. Raitano, Michele & Romano, Eleonora & Zoppoli, Pietro, 2017. "Renewable energy sources in Italy: Sectorial intensity and effects on earnings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 117-127.

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