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To Augment Or Not To Augment? A Conjecture On Asymmetric Technical Change

Author

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  • Clemens Struck

    (University College Dublin)

  • Adnan Velic

    (Dublin Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Following standard macroeconomic theory, a non-increasing long-run share of labor in income combined with a capital-labor substitution elasticity of less than unity implies that productivity growth should be labor-augmenting. Employing an industry decomposition for the U.S., we find that technical progress is factor neutral. However, we stress potential inflation measurement errors manifested in the form of non-positive long-term productivity growth in a number of industries. We illustrate that estimates of the bias of technical change are quite sensitive to these measurement issues. If aggregate inflation is annually overstated by as little as a third of a percentage point, technical progress is already over 50 percent higher in the labor-intensive sector than in the capital-intensive sector. Thus, even the presence of small positive inflation biases could very well mean that technical change is notably labor augmenting.

Suggested Citation

  • Clemens Struck & Adnan Velic, 2017. "To Augment Or Not To Augment? A Conjecture On Asymmetric Technical Change," Trinity Economics Papers tep0117, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tcd:tcduee:tep0117
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    File URL: https://www.tcd.ie/Economics/TEP/2017/TEP0117.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Clemens Struck & Adnan Velic, 2017. "Automation, New Technology, and Non-Homothetic Preferences," Trinity Economics Papers tep1217, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    2. George Sorg-Langhans & Clemens C. Struck & Adnan Velic, 2018. "Solving Leontief's Paradox with Endogenous Growth Theory," Working Papers 201819p, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    3. George Sorg-Langhans & Clemens Struck & Adnan Velic, 2017. "On the Factor Content of Trade," Trinity Economics Papers tep0817, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2018.
    4. George Sorg-Langhans & Clemens C. Struck & Adnan Velic, 2018. "Solving Leontief's Paradox with Endogenous Growth Theory," Working Papers 201819, School of Economics, University College Dublin.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    technical change; labor-augmenting; measurement error; inflation bias;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E1 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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