IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/recgxx/v86y2010i3p233-249.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Space-Time Variations of Human Capital Assets Across U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1980 to 2000

Author

Listed:
  • Allen J. Scott

Abstract

This article examines the changing structure of human capital in U.S. metropolitan regions from 1980 to 2000. Data are drawn from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Intensive empirical investigation leads to three main conclusions. First, forms of human capital in the United States are becoming more oriented to labor tasks that call for cognitive-cultural skills. Second, cognitive-cultural skills are accumulating most intensively in large metropolitan areas. Third, physical or practical forms of human capital are increasingly being relegated to smaller metropolitan areas. That said, important residues of human capital, focused on physical or practical tasks, remain a durable element of the economies of large metropolitan areas. I offer a brief theoretical explanation of these results.

Suggested Citation

  • Allen J. Scott, 2010. "Space-Time Variations of Human Capital Assets Across U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1980 to 2000," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 86(3), pages 233-249, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:recgxx:v:86:y:2010:i:3:p:233-249
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1944-8287.2010.01078.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1944-8287.2010.01078.x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1944-8287.2010.01078.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Berry, Christopher R. & Glaeser, Edward L., 2005. "Divergence of Human Capital Levels across Cities," Working Paper Series rwp05-057, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    3. Christopher Wheeler, 2007. "Do localization economies derive from human capital externalities?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 41(1), pages 31-50, March.
    4. David H. Autor & Frank Levy & Richard J. Murnane, 2003. "The skill content of recent technological change: an empirical exploration," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov.
    5. Jun Koo, 2005. "Knowledge-based Industry Clusters: Evidenced by Geographical Patterns of Patents in Manufacturing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(9), pages 1487-1505, August.
    6. Maarten Goos & Alan Manning, 2007. "Lousy and Lovely Jobs: The Rising Polarization of Work in Britain," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 118-133, February.
    7. David H. Autor & Lawrence F. Katz & Melissa S. Kearney, 2006. "The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 189-194, May.
    8. Simon, Curtis J. & Nardinelli, Clark, 2002. "Human capital and the rise of American cities, 1900-1990," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 59-96, January.
    9. Glaeser, Edward L & Mare, David C, 2001. "Cities and Skills," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(2), pages 316-342, April.
    10. Marigee Bacolod & Bernardo S. Blum & William C. Strange, 2009. "Urban interactions: soft skills versus specialization," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 227-262, March.
    11. Ann Markusen & Greg Schrock, 2006. "The Distinctive City: Divergent Patterns in Growth, Hierarchy and Specialisation," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 43(8), pages 1301-1323, July.
    12. Rauch James E., 1993. "Productivity Gains from Geographic Concentration of Human Capital: Evidence from the Cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 380-400, November.
    13. Dominic Power, 2010. "Social Economy of the Metropolis: Cognitive-Cultural Capitalism and the Global Resurgence of Cities," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 131-132.
    14. Allen J. Scott, 2009. "Human capital resources and requirements across the metropolitan hierarchy of the USA," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 207-226, March.
    15. Beckstead, Desmond Brown, W. Mark Gellatly, Guy, 2008. "Cities and Growth: The Left Brain of North American Cities: Scientists and Engineers and Urban Growth," The Canadian Economy in Transition 2008017e, Statistics Canada, Economic Analysis Division.
    16. Christopher R. Berry & Edward L. Glaeser, 2005. "The divergence of human capital levels across cities," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 84(3), pages 407-444, August.
    17. Elisa Barbour & Ann Markusen, 2007. "Regional Occupational and Industrial Structure: Does One Imply the Other?," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 30(1), pages 72-90, January.
    18. Christopher R. Berry & Edward L. Glaeser, 2005. "The Divergence of Human Capital Levels across Cities," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2091, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    19. Edward J. Feser, 2003. "What Regions Do Rather than Make: A Proposed Set of Knowledge-based Occupation Clusters," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(10), pages 1937-1958, September.
    20. Allen J. Scott & Agostino Mantegna, 2009. "Human Capital Assets and Structures of Work in the US Metropolitan Hierarchy (An Analysis Based on the O*NET Information System)," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 32(2), pages 173-194, April.
    21. Christopher R. Berry & Edward L. Glaeser, 2005. "The Divergence of Human Capital Levels Across Cities," NBER Working Papers 11617, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Michael Storper & Allen J. Scott, 2009. "Rethinking human capital, creativity and urban growth," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 147-167, March.
    23. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Paula Prenzel & Simona Iammarino, 2018. "Ageing labour: How does demographic change affect regional human capital?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1832, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2018.
    2. Robert Huggins & Nick Clifton, 2011. "Competitiveness, Creativity, and Place-Based Development," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(6), pages 1341-1362, June.
    3. Taelim Choi, 2020. "Agglomeration Effect of Skill-Based Local Labor Pooling: Evidence of South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    4. Ipsita Roy & Davide Consoli, 2018. "Employment Polarization in Germany: Role of Technology, Trade and Human Capital," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 61(2), pages 251-279, June.
    5. Davide Consoli & Mabel Sánchez-Barrioluengo, 2016. "Polarization and the growth of low-skill employment in Spanish Local Labor Markets," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1628, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2016.
    6. Venhorst, V. & Cörvers, F., 2015. "Entry into working life: Spatial mobility and the job match quality of higher-educated graduates," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    7. Cédric Brunelle, 2013. "The Growing Economic Specialization of Cities: Disentangling Industrial and Functional Dimensions in the Canadian Urban System, 1971–2006," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 443-473, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aurélie LALANNE & Guillaume POUYANNE, 2012. "Ten years of metropolization in economics: a bibliometric approach (In French)," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2012-11, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    2. Tuo Lin & Kevin Stolarick & Rong Sheng, 2019. "Bridging the Gap: Integrated Occupational and Industrial Approach to Understand the Regional Economic Advantage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-17, August.
    3. Marigee Bacolod & Bernardo S. Blum & William C. Strange, 2010. "Elements Of Skill: Traits, Intelligences, Education, And Agglomeration," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 245-280, February.
    4. Jaison R. Abel & Todd M. Gabe & Kevin Stolarick, 2014. "Skills across the Urban–Rural Hierarchy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 499-517, December.
    5. Paula Prenzel & Simona Iammarino, 2018. "Ageing labour: How does demographic change affect regional human capital?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1832, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2018.
    6. Viktor A. Venhorst, 2017. "Human capital spillovers in Dutch cities: consumption or productivity?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 59(3), pages 793-817, November.
    7. Casey Dougal & Christopher A. Parsons & Sheridan Titman, 2014. "Urban Vibrancy and Corporate Growth," NBER Working Papers 20350, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Edward L. Glaeser & Joshua D. Gottlieb, 2008. "The Economics of Place-Making Policies," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 39(1 (Spring), pages 155-253.
    9. Berger, Thor & Frey, Carl Benedikt, 2016. "Did the Computer Revolution shift the fortunes of U.S. cities? Technology shocks and the geography of new jobs," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 38-45.
    10. Michael R. Betz & Mark D. Partridge & Belal Fallah, 2016. "Smart cities and attracting knowledge workers: Which cities attract highly-educated workers in the 21st century?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(4), pages 819-841, November.
    11. Suzanne Kok & Bas ter Weel, 2014. "Cities, Tasks, And Skills," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(5), pages 856-892, November.
    12. Florida, Richard & Mellander, Charlotta & Qian, Haifeng, 2008. "Creative China? The University, Tolerance and Talent in Chinese Regional Development," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 145, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    13. Jaison Abel & Todd Gabe, 2011. "Human Capital and Economic Activity in Urban America," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(8), pages 1079-1090.
    14. Jos� Lobo & Charlotta Mellander & Kevin Stolarick & Deborah Strumsky, 2014. "The Inventive, the Educated and the Creative: How Do They Affect Metropolitan Productivity?," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 155-177, February.
    15. Peter Sunley & Ron Martin & Ben Gardiner & Andy Pike, 2020. "In search of the skilled city: Skills and the occupational evolution of British cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(1), pages 109-133, January.
    16. Breandán Ó hUallacháin, 2011. "Does inventive intensity affect urban prosperity?," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(4), pages 401-420, November.
    17. Südekum, Jens, 2008. "Convergence of the skill composition across German regions," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 148-159, March.
    18. John V. Winters, 2013. "Human capital externalities and employment differences across metropolitan areas of the USA," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(5), pages 799-822, September.
    19. Pablo COTO-MILLÁN & Miguel Ángel PESQUERA & Pedro CASARES-HONTAÑÓN & Pablo DE CASTRO, 2011. "Serempathy: A New Approach To Innovation. An Application To Forty-Six Regions Of Atlantic Arc Countries," Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, ScientificPapers.org, vol. 1(6), pages 1-26, October.
    20. Winters, John V., 2014. "STEM graduates, human capital externalities, and wages in the U.S," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 190-198.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:recgxx:v:86:y:2010:i:3:p:233-249. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/recg .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.