This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Comparative Advantage, Learning, and Sectoral Wage Determination

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Robert Gibbons (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and National Bureau of Economic Research)
Lawrence F. Katz (Harvard University and National Bureau of Economic Research)
Thomas Lemieux (University of British Columbia and National Bureau of Economic Research)
Daniel Parent (McGill University)

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

We develop a model in which a worker's skills determine the worker's current wage and sector. The market and the worker are initially uncertain about some of the worker's skills. Endogenous wage changes and sector mobility occur as labor market participants learn about these unobserved skills. We show how the model can be estimated using nonlinear instrumental variables techniques. We apply our methodology to study wages and allocation of workers across occupations and industries using individual-level panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. We find that high-wage sectors employ high-skill workers and offer high returns to workers' skills.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?JOLE230402
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: main text
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Article provided by University of Chicago Press in its journal Journal of Labor Economics.

Volume (Year): 23 (2005)
Issue (Month): 4 (October)
Pages: 681-724
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:v:23:y:2005:i:4:p:681-724

Contact details of provider:
Postal: The University of Chicago Press, Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005 Chicago, IL 60637
Fax: (773) 753-0811
Email:
Web page: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JOLE/home.html

Order Information:
Web: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JOLE/order1.html

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Harris, Milton & Holstrom, Bengt, 1982. "A Theory of Wage Dynamics," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(3), pages 315-33, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Stephanie Lluis, . "The Role of Comparative Advantage and Learning in Wage Dynamics and Intra-Firm Mobility: Evidence from Germany," Working Papers 0103, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Lawrence F. Katz & Alan B. Krueger, 1991. "Changes in the Structure of Wages in the Public and Private Sectors," NBER Working Papers 3667, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Farber, Henry S & Gibbons, Robert, 1996. "Learning and Wage Dynamics," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 111(4), pages 1007-47, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Hansen, Lars Peter, 1982. "Large Sample Properties of Generalized Method of Moments Estimators," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(4), pages 1029-54, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Murphy, Kevin M & Welch, Finis, 1992. "The Structure of Wages," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(1), pages 285-326, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Stephen Ross & Paul Taubman & Michael L. Wachter, 1981. "Learning by Observing and the Distribution of Wages," NBER Chapters, in: Studies in Labor Markets, pages 359-386 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  8. William T. Dickens & Lawrence F. Katz, 1987. "Interindustry Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics," NBER Working Papers 2014, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Newey, Whitney K, 1990. "Efficient Instrumental Variables Estimation of Nonlinear Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(4), pages 809-37, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Alan B. Krueger & Lawrence H. Summers, 1987. "Reflections on the Inter-Industry Wage Structure," NBER Working Papers 1968, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Neal, Derek, 1995. "Industry-Specific Human Capital: Evidence from Displaced Workers," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(4), pages 653-77, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Krueger, Alan B & Summers, Lawrence H, 1988. "Efficiency Wages and the Inter-industry Wage Structure," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(2), pages 259-93, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Donald, Stephen G. & Whitney Newey, 1999. "Choosing the Number of Instruments," Working papers 99-05, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics.
  14. Neal, Derek & Rosen, Sherwin, 2000. "Theories of the distribution of earnings," Handbook of Income Distribution, in: A.B. Atkinson & F. Bourguignon (ed.), Handbook of Income Distribution, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 7, pages 379-427 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Heckman, James J & Honore, Bo E, 1990. "The Empirical Content of the Roy Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(5), pages 1121-49, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Griliches, Zvi & Hausman, Jerry A., 1986. "Errors in variables in panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 93-118, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. MacDonald, Glenn M, 1982. "A Market Equilibrium Theory of Job Assignment and Sequential Accumulation of Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(5), pages 1038-55, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Lemieux, Thomas, 1998. "Estimating the Effects of Unions on Wage Inequality in a Panel Data Model with Comparative Advantage and Nonrandom Selection," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(2), pages 261-91, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Jovanovic, Boyan, 1979. "Job Matching and the Theory of Turnover," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(5), pages 972-90, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  20. Robert Gibbons & Michael Waldman, 1998. "A Theory of Wage and Promotion Dynamics in Internal Labor Markets," NBER Working Papers 6454, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Gibbons, R. & Katz, L., 1989. "Does Unmeasured Ability Explain Inter-Industry Wage Differences," Working papers 543, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics.
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Philip Oreopoulos & Till von Wachter & Andrew Heisz, 2006. "The Short- and Long-Term Career Effects of Graduating in a Recession: Hysteresis and Heterogeneity in the Market for College Graduates," NBER Working Papers 12159, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Daniel Parent, 2002. "Incentives? The Effect of Profit Sharing Plans Offered by Previous Employers on Current Wages," CIRANO Working Papers 2002s-54, CIRANO. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Thomas Lemieux & W. Bentley Macleod & Daniel Parent, 2006. "Performance Pay And Wage Inequality," Departmental Working Papers 2006-08, McGill University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. von Wachter, Till & Bender, Stefan, 2004. "In the Right Place at the Wrong Time: The Role of Firms and Luck in Young Workers’ Careers," IZA Discussion Papers 1348, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  5. Dohmen, Thomas J., 2003. "Performance, Seniority and Wages: Formal Salary Systems and Individual Earnings Profiles," IZA Discussion Papers 935, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Antonio Dias da Silva & Bas van der Klaauw, . "Wage Dynamics and Promotions inside and between Firms," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 06-084/3, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Paul Oyer, 2007. "Ability and Employer Learning: Evidence from the Economist Labor Market," NBER Working Papers 12989, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Simon D. Woodcock, 2005. "Heterogeneity and Learning in Labor Markets," Labor and Demography 0511012, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  9. Sullivan, Paul, 2008. "Empirical Evidence on Occupation and Industry Specific Human Capital," MPRA Paper 863, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jun 2008. [Downloadable!]
  10. Lopez-Pablos, Rodrigo A., 2007. "Health Econometric: Uncovering the Anthropometric Behavior on the Women's Labor Market," MPRA Paper 5961, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 02 Feb 2008. [Downloadable!]
  11. Christina Gathmann & Uta Schönberg, 2006. "How General Is Specific Human Capital?," IZA Discussion Papers 2485, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  12. Stephanie Lluis, . "The Role of Comparative Advantage and Learning in Wage Dynamics and Intra-Firm Mobility: Evidence from Germany," Working Papers 0103, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Jennifer Hunt & Sonia Laszlo, 2006. "Bribery: Who Pays, Who Refuses, What Are The Payoffs?," Departmental Working Papers 2006-06, McGill University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  14. Ana Ferrer & Stephanie Lluis, . "Should Workers Care About Firm Size?," Working Papers 0204, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. Alós-Ferrer, Carlos & Prat, Julien, 2008. "Job Market Signaling and Employer Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 3285, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  16. João Carlos Cerejeira da Silva, 2004. "Estimating the employer size-wage premium in a panel data model with comparative advantage and non-random selection," NIPE Working Papers 6/2004, NIPE - Universidade do Minho. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Authors can create their own profile with links to their works on the RePEc Author Service.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-21.


This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.