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Relative Wages, Openness and Skill-Biased Technological Change

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Author Info
Görg, Holger () (University of Nottingham and IZA Bonn)
Strobl, Eric (Université Catholique de Louvain)

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Abstract

Standard neo-classical trade theory predicts that trade liberalisation should cause a fall in wage inequality in developing countries through a decrease in the relative demand for skilled labour. Recent studies of a number of developing countries, however, find evidence to the contrary. Using a panel of manufacturing firms in the 1990s we investigate whether skillbiased technological change induced through imports of technology-intensive capital goods or export activity may provide an explanation for the increase in relative wages of skilled workers in Ghana. Estimates of a skilled worker relative demand equation based on a translog cost function show that changes in technology through a greater inflow of foreign machinery is found to be indeed consistent with skill-biased technological change in Ghana.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 596.

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Length: 21 pages
Date of creation: Oct 2002
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp596

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Related research
Keywords: wage inequality; trade liberalisation; skill-biased technological change;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Country and Industry Studies of Trade
O33 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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. Beyer, Harald & Rojas, Patricio & Vergara, Rodrigo, 1999. "Trade liberalization and wage inequality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 103-123, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2002. "Offshore production and skill upgrading by Japanese manufacturing firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 81-105, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Stephen Machin & John Van Reenen, 1998. "Technology And Changes In Skill Structure: Evidence From Seven Oecd Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 113(4), pages 1215-1244, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Navaretti, Giorgio Barba & Soloaga, Isidro & Takacs, Wendy, 2000. "Vintage Technologies and Skill Constraints: Evidence from U.S. Exports of New and Used Machines," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 91-109, January.
  5. Liu, Jin-Tan & Tsou, Meng-Wen & Hammitt, James K, 2001. "The Impact of Advanced Technology Adoption on Wage Structures: Evidence from Taiwan Manufacturing Firms," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 68(271), pages 359-78, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Haskel, Jonathan E, 2000. "Trade and Labor Approaches to Wage Inequality," Review of International Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 8(3), pages 397-408, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. J Bradford Jensen & Andrew B Bernard, 2001. "Why Some Firms Export," Working Papers 01-05, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Gordon H. Hanson & Ann Harrison, 1999. "Trade liberalization and wage inequality in Mexico," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 52(2), pages 271-288, January.
  9. Pissarides, Christopher A, 1997. "Learning by Trading and the Returns to Human Capital in Developing Countries," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 17-32, January.
  10. Bruce A. Blonigen & Matthew J. Slaughter, 2001. "Foreign-Affiliate Activity And U.S. Skill Upgrading," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 83(2), pages 362-376, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Feenstra, Robert C. & Hanson, Gordon H., 1997. "Foreign direct investment and relative wages: Evidence from Mexico's maquiladoras," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-4), pages 371-393, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  12. Lucy Chennells & John Van Reenen, 1999. "Has technology hurt less skilled workers? A survey of the micro-econometric evidence," IFS Working Papers W99/27, Institute for Fiscal Studies. [Downloadable!]
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. Elena Meschi & Marco Vivarelli, 2007. "Globalization and Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 2958, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. Fajnzylber, Pablo & Fernandes,Ana Margarida, 2004. "International economic activities and the demand for skilled labor: evidence from Brazil and China," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3426, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  3. Charles Ackah, & Oliver Morrissey, & Simon Appleton, . "Who Gains from Trade Protection in Ghana? A Household-Level Analysis," Discussion Papers 07/02, University of Nottingham, CREDIT. [Downloadable!]
  4. Rashmi Banga, 2005. "Impact of liberalisation on wages and employment in Indian manufacturing industries," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi Working Papers 153, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi, India. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Ana Margarida Fernandez & Pablo Fajnzylber, 2004. "International Technology Diffusion and the Demand for Skilled Labor: Evidence from East Asia and Latin America," Econometric Society 2004 Latin American Meetings 290, Econometric Society. [Downloadable!]
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