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Skill-Biased Technical Change in U.S. Manufacturing: A General Index Approach

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  • Baltagi, Badi H.

    (Syracuse University)

  • Rich, Daniel P.

    (Illinois State University)

Abstract

This article applies recent advances in productivity and efficiency measurement to the evaluation of skillbiased technical change. Using the general index approach we are able to establish an explicit and unconstrained time path for nonneutral technical change between production and nonproduction labor in U.S. manufacturing industries over the 1959-1996 period. Our findings confirm the prevailing interpretation in the labor economics literature that substantial reductions in the relative share of production labor are attributable to a sustained period of nonneutral technical change. However, we find that skill-biased technical change effects are most evident prior to 1983. This predates the diffusion of personal computer technologies in the workplace and the dramatic wage structure changes associated with the 1980’s. In contrast to prevailing alternatives, the general index approach also permits us to explain observed shifts in relative labor demand as a combination of price-induced substitution, nonhomothetic output effects and skill-biased technical change responses to a range of proposed elements.

Suggested Citation

  • Baltagi, Badi H. & Rich, Daniel P., 2003. "Skill-Biased Technical Change in U.S. Manufacturing: A General Index Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 841, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp841
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    Cited by:

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    2. Emrah Kocak & Hayriye Hilal Baglitas, 2022. "The path to sustainable municipal solid waste management: Do human development, energy efficiency, and income inequality matter?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1947-1962, December.
    3. Ariel Casarin, 2014. "Productivity throughout regulatory cycles in gas utilities," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 115-137, April.
    4. Sauer, J. & Park, T. & Graversen, J., 2008. "Organic Farming in Denmark – Productivity, Technical Change and Market Exit," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 43, March.
    5. Badi Baltagi & Alain Pirotte, 2011. "Seemingly unrelated regressions with spatial error components," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 5-49, February.
    6. Ljubica Nedelkoska & Simon Wiederhold, 2010. "Technology, outsourcing, and the demand for heterogeneous labor: Exploring the industry dimension," Jena Economics Research Papers 2010-052, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    7. Sauer, Johannes & Graversen, Jesper T. & Park, Timothy A., 2006. "Breathtaking or Stagnating? - Productivity, Technical Change and Structural Dynamics in Danish Organic Farming," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21481, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    8. Frank Lichtenberg, 2011. "The quality of medical care, behavioral risk factors, and longevity growth," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-34, March.
    9. Einiö, Elias, 2015. "The Loss of Production Work: Identification of Demand Shifts Based on Local Soviet Trade Shocks," Working Papers 61, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    10. Aykut Lenger, 2016. "The inter-industry employment effects of technological change," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 235-248, December.
    11. Wang, Jun & Hu, Yong & Zhang, Zhiming, 2021. "Skill-biased technological change and labor market polarization in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    12. Hötte, Kerstin, 2023. "Demand-pull, technology-push, and the direction of technological change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(5).
    13. Frank Cörvers & Jaanika Meriküll, 2007. "Occupational structures across 25 EU countries: the importance of industry structure and technology in old and new EU countries," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 327-359, December.
    14. Elias Einiö, 2016. "The loss of production work: evidence from quasi-experimental identification of labour demand functions," CEP Discussion Papers dp1451, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    15. Shabbar Jaffry & Yaseen Ghulam & Joe Cox, 2006. "Impact of Regulatory Reforms on Labour Efficiency in the Indian and Pakistani Commercial Banks," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 1085-1102.
    16. Rangel González Erick & López Ornelas Luis Fernando, 2021. "Foreign Direct Investment and Labor Productivity in Regional Manufacturing Industry," Working Papers 2021-12, Banco de México.
    17. Wang, Lan-Hsun & Liao, Shu-Yi & Huang, Mao-Lung, 2022. "The growth effects of knowledge-based technological change on Taiwan’s industry: A comparison of R&D and education level," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 525-545.
    18. Kerstin Hotte & Melline Somers & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2022. "Technology and jobs: A systematic literature review," Papers 2204.01296, arXiv.org.
    19. Kong, Dongmin & Liu, Shasha & Xiang, Junyi, 2018. "Political promotion and labor investment efficiency," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 273-293.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wage inequality; skill biased technical change; labor demand; nonneutral technical change; manufacturing; panel data; skill; general index of technical change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • 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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