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Market Size or Acceleration Effects; Comparing Hy pothese s to Explain Skill Biased Technical Change

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Abstract

Skill-biased technical change has occupied empirical economists for much of the 90s. However, the empirical literature has not progressed much beyond observing a positive correlation between technology indicators and demand shifts. Two hypotheses on the root causes of skill biases in technical change, the acceleration effect and the market size effect, have been suggested in the literature. In this paper both are studied in a unified theoretical framework to derive the sufficient and necessary conditions for both hypotheses. Confronting them with the evidence the paper concludes that it favors the acceleration hypothesis but further empirical work needs to be done.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Sanders, 2005. "Market Size or Acceleration Effects; Comparing Hy pothese s to Explain Skill Biased Technical Change," Papers on Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy 2005-03, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:esi:egpdis:2005-03
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Skill-Bias; Endogenous Growth; Product-Lifecycle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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