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The global distribution of routine and non-routine work

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  • Piotr Lewandowski
  • Albert Park
  • Simone Schotte

Abstract

Studies of the effects of technology and globalization on employment and inequality commonly assume that occupations are identical around the world in the job tasks they require. To relax this assumption, we develop a regression-based methodology to predict the country-specific routine task intensity of occupations based on survey data collected in 46 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. We find that within the same occupation jobs in low- and middle-income countries are more routine intensive than in high-income countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Piotr Lewandowski & Albert Park & Simone Schotte, 2020. "The global distribution of routine and non-routine work," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-75, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2020-75
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    3. Chunbing Xing, 2021. "The changing nature of work and earnings inequality in China," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-105, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Giuseppe De Arcangelis & Rama Dasi Mariani, 2019. "Multi-Country Tasks Measures: Beyond US-based Data and a Focus on Migration," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(3), pages 2155-2161.
    5. Federico S. Mandelman & Alan Finkelstein Shapiro, 2019. "Digital Adoption, Automation, and Labor Markets in Developing and Emerging Economies," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2019-22, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    6. Delaporte, Isaure & Peña, Werner, 2023. "The Dynamics of Labour Market Polarization in Chile: An Analysis of the Link Between Technical Change and Informality," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1262, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Luis R. Diaz Pavez & Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, 2023. "The impact of local and foreign automation on labor market outcomes in emerging countries," Working Papers 2023.01, International Network for Economic Research - INFER.
    8. Saloni Khurana & Kanika Mahajan, 2020. "Evolution of wage inequality in India (1983-2017): The role of occupational task content," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-167, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Antonio Martins-Neto & Nanditha Mathew & Pierre Mohnen & Tania Treibich, 2021. "Is There Job Polarization in Developing Economies? A Review and Outlook," CESifo Working Paper Series 9444, CESifo.
    10. Piotr Lewandowski, 2018. "How does technology change the nature of work? Poland vs. the EU," IBS Policy Papers 02/2018, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    De-routinization; Economic development; Global division of labour; Routine employment; Task content of jobs; Tasks; Skills;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • 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

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