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The Skill Bias of World Trade

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Author Info
Paolo Epifani () (Universita' di Parma, Parma, Italy, CESPRI, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy)
Gino Gancia () (IIES-Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden)

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Abstract

We argue that, with an elasticity of substitution in consumption greater than one and higher scale economies in the skill-intensive sectors, the entire volume of world trade matters for wage inequality. This implies that trade integration, even among identical countries, is likely to increase the skill premium. This result can also explain the increase in skill premia in developing countries that have experienced drastic trade liberalizations. Further, we argue that evidence of a falling relative price of skill-intensive goods can be reconciled with the fast growth of world trade and that the intersectoral mobility of capital exacerbates the effect of trade on inequality. We provide new empirical evidence in support of our results and a quantitative assessment of the skill bias of world trade.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy in its series CESPRI Working Papers with number 129.

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Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: Mar 2002
Date of revision: Mar 2001
Handle: RePEc:cri:cespri:wp129

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Related research
Keywords: Skill Premium; Scale Effect; Intra-Industry and Inter-Industry Trade;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies
F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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.:
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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. Paolo Epifani, 2002. "Trade Liberalization, Firm Performance and Labor Market Outcomes in the Developing World What Can We Learn From Micro-Level Data?," CESPRI Working Papers 138, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Feb 2003. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Monte, Ferdinando, 2009. "Skill Bias, Trade, and Wage Dispersion," MPRA Paper 14719, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 06 Oct 2009. [Downloadable!]
  3. Thierry Verdier, 2005. "Intégration commerciale « socialement responsable » : une approche en termes d'économie politique," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 19(4), pages 55-121. [Downloadable!]
  4. Mathias Thoenig & Thierry Verdier, 2003. "A Theory of Defensive Skill-Biased Innovation and Globalization," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 709-728, June. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Wilfred J. Ethier, 2002. "Globalization, Globalisation," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 02-088/2, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  6. Bonfiglioli, Alessandra, 2005. "Equities and Inequality," Seminar Papers 737, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Bulent Unel, . "Firm Heterogeneity, Trade, and Wage Inequality," Departmental Working Papers 2008-02, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University. [Downloadable!]
  8. Epifani, Paolo & Gancia, Gino A., 2009. "Trade, Markup Heterogeneity and Misallocations," CEPR Discussion Papers 7217, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. José L. Groizard, 2008. "Technology Trade," DEA Working Papers 31, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Departament d'Economía Aplicada. [Downloadable!]
  10. Carlo Devillanova & Michele Di Maio & Pietro Vertova, 2006. "Labour Mobility, Capital-Skill Complementarity and the Redistributive Effects of Trade Integration," CESPRI Working Papers 188, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Nov 2006. [Downloadable!]
  11. Robert Anderton & Paul Hiebert, . "The Impact of Globalisation on the Euro Area Macroeconomy," Discussion Papers 09/14, University of Nottingham, GEP. [Downloadable!]
  12. Gino Gancia & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2005. "Horizontal Innovation in the Theory of Growth and Development," Economics Working Papers 831, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Paolo Epifani & Gino Gancia, 2004. "Increasing Returns, Imperfect Competition and Factor Prices," Economics Working Papers 953, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Oct 2005. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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