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Wage Inequality in the United Kingdom: Trade and/or Technology?

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  • Roberto A. De Santis

Abstract

I employ two alternative intra‐industry trade Applied General Equilibrium (AGE) models to explain some stylised facts of the British economy. The model with skill‐biased technical change (i.e. exogenous skill‐biased technical change à la Solow) can explain the rise in wage inequality between skilled and unskilled workers, the decline in manufacturing and the expansion of modern services. However, the model where technical change is trade‐induced (i.e. endogenous sector‐biased technical change à la Romer) performs better, because it can also explain the exponential rise of imported intermediate capital goods and developments in the wage rate of unskilled workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto A. De Santis, 2003. "Wage Inequality in the United Kingdom: Trade and/or Technology?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 893-909, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:26:y:2003:i:6:p:893-909
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-9701.00553
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sandip Chakraborty & Ram Kumar Kakani & Bernadette C. Canasa, 2017. "Impact of International Outsourcing on Domestic Wage of Singapore Manufacturing Sector," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(6), pages 82-97, June.
    2. Mehmet Balcilar & Edmond Berisha & Oğuzhan Çepni & Rangan Gupta, 2022. "The predictive power of the term spread on inequality in the United Kingdom: An empirical analysis," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 1979-1988, April.
    3. Niven Winchester, 2008. "Searching for the Smoking Gun: Did Trade Hurt Unskilled Workers?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(265), pages 141-156, June.
    4. Nathalie Chusseau & Michel Dumont & Joël Hellier, 2008. "Explaining Rising Inequality: Skill‐Biased Technical Change And North–South Trade," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 409-457, July.
    5. Niven Winchester & David Greenaway & Geoffrey V. Reed, 2006. "Skill Classification and the Effects of Trade on Wage Inequality," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(2), pages 287-306, July.
    6. Natalia Melgar & Juliette Milgram & Máximo Rossi, 2009. "The role of macroeconomic performance in individual’s attitudes towards protectionism," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0809, Department of Economics - dECON.
    7. Winchester, Niven & Greenaway, David, 2007. "Rising wage inequality and capital-skill complementarity," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 41-54.
    8. Niven Winchester, 2008. "Trade and Rising Wage Inequality: What Can We Learn from a Decade of Computable General Equilibrium Analysis?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: David Greenaway & Richard Upward & Peter Wright (ed.), Globalisation and Labour Market Adjustment, chapter 4, pages 54-72, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Matthew J. Lindquist, 2005. "Capital–Skill Complementarity and Inequality in Sweden," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 107(4), pages 711-735, December.
    10. Harris, Richard G. & Robertson, Peter E., 2013. "Trade, wages and skill accumulation in the emerging giants," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 407-421.
    11. Sabine Engelmann, 2014. "International trade, technological change and wage inequality in the UK economy," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 41(2), pages 223-246, May.

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