IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/erg/wpaper/554.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Trade Openness, Relative Demand of Skilled Workers and Technological Change in Tunisia, 1998–2002

Author

Listed:
  • Monia Ghazali

    (Institut Supérieur de Finance et Fiscalité de Sousse)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between technological change and the relative demand of skilled workers in Tunisia. For this purpose, we use a firm level database drawn from the national annual survey report on firms (NASRF) provided by the Tunisian National Institute of Statistics (TNIS). The annual data covers 635 firms from manufacturing and non- manufacturing sectors over the period 1998–2002. The estimation of the demand for skilled labor is based on the estimation of a translog cost function. We control for potential endogeneity issues and we give empirical evidence supporting the trade-induced technological change theoretical intuition. Our empirical results confirm the existence of a trade-induced technological change that contributes to increasing the relative demand for skilled workers. Yet, the relationship between trade and technology deserves deeper interest. Further empirical research on transmission channels would reinforce current studies on skill- biased technological change.

Suggested Citation

  • Monia Ghazali, 2010. "Trade Openness, Relative Demand of Skilled Workers and Technological Change in Tunisia, 1998–2002," Working Papers 554, Economic Research Forum, revised 10 Jan 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:554
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://erf.org.eg/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/554.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://bit.ly/2mln6DD
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ann Harrison, 2007. "Globalization and Poverty," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number harr06-1, March.
    2. Dennis, Allen, 2006. "Trade liberalization, factor market flexibility, and growth : the case of Morocco and Tunisia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3857, The World Bank.
    3. Bob Anderton & Paul Brenton, 2014. "Outsourcing And Low-Skilled Workers In The Uk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: INTERNATIONAL TRADE, DISTRIBUTION AND DEVELOPMENT Empirical Studies of Trade Policies, chapter 9, pages 185-203, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Grisley, William & Gitu, Kangethe W., 1985. "A Translog Cost Analysis of Turkey Production in the Mid-Atlantic Region," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 151-158, July.
    5. Hausman, Jerry A & Taylor, William E, 1981. "Panel Data and Unobservable Individual Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1377-1398, November.
    6. Christensen, Laurits R & Jorgenson, Dale W & Lau, Lawrence J, 1973. "Transcendental Logarithmic Production Frontiers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 55(1), pages 28-45, February.
    7. Mark Sanders & Bas ter Weel, 2000. "Skill-Biased Technical Change Theoretical Concepts, Empirical Problems and a Survey of the Evidence," DRUID Working Papers 00-8, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    8. Attanasio, Orazio & Goldberg, Pinelopi K. & Pavcnik, Nina, 2004. "Trade reforms and wage inequality in Colombia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 331-366, August.
    9. Hanson, G.H. & Harrison, A., 1995. "Trade, Technology and Wage Inequality," Papers 95-20, Columbia - Graduate School of Business.
    10. Maria Bas, 2008. "Trade, technology adoption and wage inequalities: theory and evidence," Working Papers halshs-00586858, HAL.
    11. Zadia M. Feliciano, 2001. "Workers and Trade Liberalization: The Impact of Trade Reforms in Mexico on Wages and Employment," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(1), pages 95-115, October.
    12. Bigsten, Arne & Durevall, Dick, 2006. "Openness and wage inequality in Kenya, 1964-2000," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 465-480, March.
    13. Bresnahan, Timothy F, 1999. "Computerisation and Wage Dispersion: An Analytical Reinterpretation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(456), pages 390-415, June.
    14. Feenstra, Robert C. & Hanson, Gordon H., 1997. "Foreign direct investment and relative wages: Evidence from Mexico's maquiladoras," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-4), pages 371-393, May.
    15. Nanak Kakwani & Hyun H. Son, 2006. "New Global Poverty Counts," Working Papers 29, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    16. Teoman Pamukçu & Michele Cincera, 2001. "Analyse des déterminants de l'innovation technologique dans un Nouveau Pays Industrialisé : une étude économétrique sur données d'entreprises dans le secteur manufacturier turc," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(4), pages 139-158.
    17. Lawrence Edwards, 2004. "A firm level analysis of trade, technology and employment in South Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(1), pages 45-61.
    18. Beyer, Harald & Rojas, Patricio & Vergara, Rodrigo, 1999. "Trade liberalization and wage inequality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 103-123, June.
    19. Francisco Gallego, 2006. "Skill Premium in Chile: Studying the Skill Bias Technical Change Hypothesis in the South," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 363, Central Bank of Chile.
    20. Robert Z. Lawrence, 2000. "Does a Kick in the Pants Get You Going or Does It Just Hurt? The Impact of International Competition on Technological Change in US Manufacturing," NBER Chapters, in: The Impact of International Trade on Wages, pages 197-224, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Jonathan E. Haskel & Matthew J. Slaughter, 1998. "Does the Sector Bias of Skill-Biased Technical Change Explain Changing Wage Inequality?," NBER Working Papers 6565, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Gordon H. Hanson & Ann Harrison, 2022. "Trade Liberalization And Wage Inequality In Mexico," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Globalization, Firms, and Workers, chapter 3, pages 43-60, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    23. Bruce A. Blonigen & Matthew J. Slaughter, 2019. "Foreign-Affiliate Activity and U.S. Skill Upgrading," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foreign Direct Investment, chapter 10, pages 325-367, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    24. Eli Berman & John Bound & Zvi Griliches, 1994. "Changes in the Demand for Skilled Labor within U. S. Manufacturing: Evidence from the Annual Survey of Manufactures," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(2), pages 367-397.
    25. John Norsworthy & Show-Ling Jang, 1993. "Cost Function Estimation of Quality Change in Semiconductors," NBER Chapters, in: Price Measurements and Their Uses, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    26. Aisbett, Emma & Harrison, Ann & Zwane, Alix, 2006. "Globalization and poverty: what is the evidence?," MPRA Paper 36595, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    27. Bas, Maria, 2008. "Trade, technology adoption and wage inequalities: theory and evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28513, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    28. Stephen Machin & John Van Reenen, 1998. "Technology and Changes in Skill Structure: Evidence from Seven OECD Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(4), pages 1215-1244.
    29. Daron Acemoglu, 2003. "Patterns of Skill Premia," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 199-230.
    30. Pavcnik, Nina, 2003. "What explains skill upgrading in less developed countries?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 311-328, August.
    31. repec:dau:papers:123456789/6635 is not listed on IDEAS
    32. Robertson, Raymond, 2004. "Relative prices and wage inequality: evidence from Mexico," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 387-409, December.
    33. Grisley, William & Gitu, Kangethe W., 1985. "A Translog Cost Analysis Of Turkey Production In The Mid-Atlantic Region," Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 17(1), pages 1-8, July.
    34. Olga M. Fuentes & Simon Gilchrist, 2005. "Skill-biased Technology Adoption: Evidence for the Chilean manufacturing sector," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2005-045, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    35. Joy Mazumdar & Myriam Quispe-Agnoli, 2002. "Trade and the skill premium in developing countries: the role of intermediate goods and some evidence from Peru," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2002-11, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    36. Pissarides, Christopher A, 1997. "Learning by Trading and the Returns to Human Capital in Developing Countries," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 11(1), pages 17-32, January.
    37. Cragg, Michael Ian & Epelbaum, Mario, 1996. "Why has wage dispersion grown in Mexico? Is it the incidence of reforms or the growing demand for skills?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 99-116, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12528 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Jorge Saba Arbache, 2001. "Trade Liberalisation and Labor Markets in Developing Countries: Theory and Evidence," Studies in Economics 0112, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    3. Zouhair Mrabet, 2012. "The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Labor Market of Developing Countries: What can Literature tell us?," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 4(6), pages 307-318.
    4. Paolo Giordano & Kun Li, 2012. "An Updated Assessment of the Trade and Poverty Nexus in Latin America," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 79119, Inter-American Development Bank.
    5. Paula Bustos, 2005. "The impact of trade liberalization on skill upgrading. Evidence from Argentina," Economics Working Papers 1189, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Jul 2011.
    6. Lanouar Charfeddine & Zouhair Mrabet, 2015. "Trade liberalization and relative employment: further evidence from Tunisia," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(1), pages 173-202, June.
    7. Yoshimichi Murakami, 2018. "Globalization and Income Inequality in Latin America: A Review of Theoretical Developments and Recent Evidence," Discussion Paper Series DP2018-16, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Aug 2018.
    8. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg & Nina Pavcnik, 2007. "Distributional Effects of Globalization in Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(1), pages 39-82, March.
    9. Robbins, Donald J., 2003. "The impact of trade liberalization upon inequality in developing countries : a review of theory and evidence," ILO Working Papers 993650553402676, International Labour Organization.
    10. Julien Gourdon, 2011. "Wage inequality in developing countries: South–South trade matters," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 58(4), pages 359-383, December.
    11. Andre Varella Mollick, 2008. "Relative wages, labor supplies and trade in Mexican manufacturing: Evidence from two samples," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 213-241.
    12. Kaveri Deb & William R. Hauk, 2020. "The Impact of Chinese Imports on Indian Wage Inequality," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(2), pages 267-290, June.
    13. Atolia, Manoj & Kurokawa, Yoshinori, 2016. "The impact of trade margins on the skill premium: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 895-915.
    14. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-504 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Elena Meschi & Erol Taymaz & Marco Vivarelli, 2016. "Globalization, technological change and labor demand: a firm-level analysis for Turkey," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(4), pages 655-680, November.
    16. Jim Airola & Chinhui Juhn, 2008. "Wage Inequality in Post-Reform Mexico," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 17(1), pages 110-134, March.
    17. Juhn, Chinhui & Ujhelyi, Gergely & Villegas-Sanchez, Carolina, 2014. "Men, women, and machines: How trade impacts gender inequality," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 179-193.
    18. Pavcnik, Nina, 2003. "What explains skill upgrading in less developed countries?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 311-328, August.
    19. Yasar, Mahmut & Rejesus, Roderick M., 2020. "International linkages, technology transfer, and the skilled labor wage share: Evidence from plant-level data in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    20. Raymond Robertson, 2006. "Globalization and Mexican labor markets," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, pages 61-80.
    21. Jim Airola & Chinhui Juhn, 2008. "Wage Inequality in Post-Reform Mexico," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 17(1), pages 110-134, March.
    22. Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Nina Pavcnik, 2004. "Trade, Inequality, and Poverty: What Do We Know? Evidence from Recent Trade Liberalization Episodes in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 10593, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:erg:wpaper:554. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sherine Ghoneim (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/erfaceg.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.