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Putting Tasks to the Test: Human Capital, Job Tasks and Wages

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  • David H. Autor
  • Michael J. Handel

Abstract

Employing original, representative survey data, we document that cognitive, interpersonal and physical job task demands can be measured with high validity using standard interview techniques. Job tasks vary substantially within and between occupations, are significantly related to workers' characteristics, and are robustly predictive of wage differentials both between occupations and among workers in the same occupation. We offer a conceptual framework that makes explicit the causal links between human capital endowments, occupational assignment, job tasks, and wages. This framework motivates a Roy (1951) model of the allocation of workers to occupations. Tests of the model’s implication that 'returns to tasks' must negatively covary among occupations are strongly supported.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 15116.

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Date of creation: Jun 2009
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15116

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Cited by:
  1. Carl Sanders, 2012. "Skill Uncertainty, Skill Accumulation, and Occupational Choice," 2012 Meeting Papers 633, Society for Economic Dynamics.
  2. Daniel Baumgarten & Ingo Geishecker & Holger Görg, 2010. "Offshoring, tasks, and the skill-wage pattern," Kiel Working Papers 1603, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
  3. Michaels, Guy & Rauch, Ferdinand & Redding, Stephen J., 2013. "Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000," CEPR Discussion Papers 9308, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  4. Chris Robinson, 2011. "Occupational Mobility, Occupation Distance and Specific Human Capital," University of Western Ontario, CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity Working Papers 20115, University of Western Ontario, CIBC Centre for Human Capital and Productivity.
  5. Semih Akcomak & Suzanne Kok & Hugo Rojas-Romagosa, 2013. "The effects of technology and offshoring on changes in employment and task-content of occupations," CPB Discussion Paper 233, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
  6. Christian Dustmann & Itzhak Fadlon & Yoram Weiss, 2010. "Return Migration, Human Capital Accumulation and the Brain Drain," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1013, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
  7. Baumgarten, Daniel & Geishecker, Ingo & Görg, Holger, 2010. "Offshoring, tasks, and the skill-wage pattern," Center for European, Governance and Economic Development Research Discussion Papers 98, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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