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Technological Changes, Offshoring, and the Labor Share

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  • Weicheng Lian

Abstract

Existing studies on the downward trend in the labor share of income mostly focus on changes within individual countries. I document, however, that half of the global decline in the labor share of income can be traced to the relocation of activities between countries. I develop a two-country model to show that when the relative price of investment goods falls, production activities with a small elasticity of substitution between capital and labor tend to get offshored from high- to low-wage countries. The model provides an explanation as to why such relocation may drive the labor share down in both developed and developing economies, as well as globally.

Suggested Citation

  • Weicheng Lian, 2019. "Technological Changes, Offshoring, and the Labor Share," IMF Working Papers 2019/142, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/142
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kyoji Fukao & Cristiano Perugini, 2021. "The Long‐Run Dynamics of the Labor Share in Japan," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 67(2), pages 445-480, June.
    2. Alexander Guschanski & Özlem Onaran, 2023. "Global Value Chain Participation and the Labour Share: Industry‐level Evidence from Emerging Economies," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 54(1), pages 31-63, January.
    3. Guschanski, Alexander & Onaran, Özlem, 2021. "The effect of global value chain participation on the labour share – Industry level evidence from emerging economies," Greenwich Papers in Political Economy 31973, University of Greenwich, Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre.

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