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Capital-Skill Complementarity: Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in Ghana

Author

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  • Akay, Gokhan H.

    (Trinity University)

  • Yuksel, Mutlu

    (Dalhousie University)

Abstract

Using U.S. manufacturing data, Griliches (1969) found evidence suggesting that capital equipment was more substitutable for unskilled than skilled labor. Griliches formulated this finding as the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the capital-skill complementarity framework holds for Ghana manufacturing plants in industry and aggregate level. We use an unbalanced panel of plant-level data for manufacturing firms in Ghana during the 1991 and 1997 in four industries (food-bakery, textiles-garments, wood-furniture and metal-machinery). Our findings suggest that capital-skill complementarity holds in aggregate level and wood-furniture sector in Ghana. However, we reject the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis for food-bakery, textile-garment and metal-machinery sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Akay, Gokhan H. & Yuksel, Mutlu, 2009. "Capital-Skill Complementarity: Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in Ghana," IZA Discussion Papers 4674, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4674
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    Cited by:

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    4. Luke Emeka Okafor & Mita Bhattacharya & Harry Bloch, 2017. "Imported Intermediates, Absorptive Capacity and Productivity: Evidence from Ghanaian Manufacturing Firms," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 369-392, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    elasticity of substitution; capital-skill complementarity; translog cost function;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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