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International trade, technical change and wage inequality in the U.K. economy

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  • Engelmann, Sabine

Abstract

"This paper examines the joint impact of international trade and technical change on U.K. wages across different skill groups. International trade is measured as changes in product prices and technical change as total factor productivity (TFP) growth. We take account of a multi-sector and multi-factor of production economy and use mandated wage methodology to offer a close theoretical-empirical relationship. We use data of the EU KLEMS database and analyse the impact of both, product price changes and TFP changes of 11 U.K. manufacturing sectors on factor rewards of high-, medium- and low-skilled workers. Results show that real wages of skill groups are driven by the sector bias of price change and TFP growth of selected sectors of production. Furthermore, for each year 1970-2005 we estimate the share of the three different skill groups on added value which indicate structural change in the U.K. economy. Empirical results show a structural change in the U.K. economy by the declined share of low-skilled workers and the increased share of medium-skilled and high-skilled workers over the years." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Suggested Citation

  • Engelmann, Sabine, 2012. "International trade, technical change and wage inequality in the U.K. economy," IAB-Discussion Paper 201208, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    • Handle: RePEc:iab:iabdpa:201208
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. "British workers hit hard"
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2014-04-22 18:28:12

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    10. Finn Martensen, 2014. "Routinization and the Decline of the U.S. Minimum Wage," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2014-16, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    11. Poeschel, Friedrich, 2012. "Assortative matching through signals," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 62061, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Großbritannien ; Außenhandel ; berufliche Qualifikation ; Beschäftigungseffekte ; Einkommenseffekte ; Hochqualifizierte ; Lohnhöhe ; Lohnunterschied ; mittlere Qualifikation ; Niedrigqualifizierte ; Preisentwicklung ; Produktivitätsentwicklung ; Qualifikationsniveau ; Qualifikationsstruktur ; Reallohn ; Arbeitskräftenachfrage ; technischer Wandel ; verarbeitendes Gewerbe ; 1970-2005;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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