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Returns to Skills or Returns to Tasks? A Comment on Hanushek et al. (2015)

Author

Listed:
  • Monika Köppl-turyna

    (Agenda Austria)

  • Michael Christl

    (Agenda Austria)

Abstract

We comment on the work of Hanushek et al. (2015) and show that returns to skills are very heterogeneous and depend crucially on the tasks performed in the workplace, in line with the critique by Acemoglu and Autor (2011). Depending on the types of tasks performed at work as well as on occupations, returns to cognitive skills can vary between null and numbers much higher than those reported by Hanushek et al. (2015). We show that both tasks and skills are important factors for determining returns on the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Monika Köppl-turyna & Michael Christl, 2018. "Returns to Skills or Returns to Tasks? A Comment on Hanushek et al. (2015)," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(2), pages 783-790.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-17-00792
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Falck, Oliver & Heimisch-Roecker, Alexandra & Wiederhold, Simon, 2021. "Returns to ICT skills," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(7).
    2. Hanushek, Eric A. & Schwerdt, Guido & Wiederhold, Simon & Woessmann, Ludger, 2015. "Returns to skills around the world: Evidence from PIAAC," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 103-130.
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    7. Hanushek, Eric A. & Schwerdt, Guido & Wiederhold, Simon & Woessmann, Ludger, 2017. "Coping with change: International differences in the returns to skills," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 15-19.
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    11. Acemoglu, Daron & Autor, David, 2011. "Skills, Tasks and Technologies: Implications for Employment and Earnings," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 12, pages 1043-1171, Elsevier.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christl, Michael & Köppl-Turyna, Monika & Gnan, Phillipp, 2017. "Wage Differences Between Immigrants and Natives in Austria: The Role of Literacy Skills," GLO Discussion Paper Series 145, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cognitive skills; Human capital; Labor market; Earnings; Rate of return;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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