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Capital‐ And Labor‐Saving Technical Change In An Aging Economy

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  • Andreas Irmen

Abstract

Does population aging and the associated increase in the old‐age dependency ratio affect economic growth? The answer is given in a novel analytical framework that allows for population aging to affect endogenous capital‐ and labor‐saving technical change. In a steady state capital‐saving technical progress vanishes, and the economy's growth rate of per‐capita variables reflects only labor‐saving technical change. The mere possibility of capital‐saving technical change is shown to imply that the economy's steady‐state growth rate becomes independent of its age structure: Neither a higher life expectancy nor a decline in fertility affects economic growth in the long run.

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  • Andreas Irmen, 2017. "Capital‐ And Labor‐Saving Technical Change In An Aging Economy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 58(1), pages 261-285, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:iecrev:v:58:y:2017:i:1:p:261-285
    DOI: 10.1111/iere.12216
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    Cited by:

    1. Andreas Irmen, 2021. "Automation, growth, and factor shares in the era of population aging," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 415-453, December.
    2. Maik T. Schneider & Ralph Winkler, 2021. "Growth and Welfare under Endogenous Lifetimes," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(4), pages 1339-1384, October.
    3. Gehringer, Agnieszka & Prettner, Klaus, 2019. "Longevity And Technological Change," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(4), pages 1471-1503, June.
    4. Irmen, Andreas & Litina, Anastasia, 2022. "Population Aging And Inventive Activity," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(5), pages 1127-1161, July.
    5. Li, Defu & Bental, Benjamin & Huang, Jiuli, 2016. "Stationary Growth and the Impossibility of Capital Efficiency Gains," MPRA Paper 71516, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Irmen Andreas, 2020. "Endogenous task-based technical change—factor scarcity and factor prices," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 81-118, June.
    7. Tabakovic, Amer & Irmen, Andreas, 2014. "Capital- and Labor-Augmenting Technical Change in the Neoclassical Growth Model," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100602, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Kazila Erikenovich Kubayev, 2018. "The Process of Fund-Saving In the Theory of Innovative Economy," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, pages 149-156:3.
    9. Dong, Qi & Murakami, Tomoaki & Nakashima, Yasuhiro, 2021. "Induced Bias of Technological Change in Agriculture and Structural Transformation: A Translog Cost Function Analysis of Chinese Cereal Production," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315373, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Irmen Andreas, 2020. "Editorial introduction," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 3-6, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • D92 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice, Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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