IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/124420.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Automation, Economic Growth, and Wage Inequality: A Comment on Afonso (2024)

Author

Listed:
  • Sasaki, Hiroaki
  • Shimizu, Kenji
  • Ishihara, Yousuke

Abstract

This study critically reviews Afonso (2024), who proposes a model of economic growth that considers automation capital, traditional capital, skilled labor, and unskilled labor. In his definition of a balanced growth path, the progress of automation makes both the ratio of skilled labor to all labor and the skill premium asymptotically approach zero in the long run. Eventually, the economic growth rate becomes zero, which contradicts his conclusion. In contrast, if we correct the definition of the balanced growth path, the ratio of skilled labor to all labor asymptotically approaches unity in the long run, and the skill premium diverges to infinity. In this case, the long-run growth rate of per-capita output is equal to the growth rate obtained from Jones’s (1995) semi-endogenous growth model.

Suggested Citation

  • Sasaki, Hiroaki & Shimizu, Kenji & Ishihara, Yousuke, 2025. "Automation, Economic Growth, and Wage Inequality: A Comment on Afonso (2024)," MPRA Paper 124420, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:124420
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/124420/1/MPRA_paper_124420.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eicher, Theo S. & Turnovsky, Stephen J., 2001. "Transitional dynamics in a two-sector non-scale growth model," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 25(1-2), pages 85-113, January.
    2. Trimborn, Timo & Koch, Karl-Josef & Steger, Thomas M., 2008. "Multidimensional Transitional Dynamics: A Simple Numerical Procedure," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(3), pages 301-319, June.
    3. Lankisch, Clemens & Prettner, Klaus & Prskawetz, Alexia, 2019. "How can robots affect wage inequality?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 161-169.
    4. Prettner, Klaus, 2019. "A Note On The Implications Of Automation For Economic Growth And The Labor Share," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 1294-1301, April.
    5. Burkhard Heer & Andreas Irmen, 2019. "Automation, Economic Growth, and the Labor Share - A Comment on Prettner (2019) -," CESifo Working Paper Series 7730, CESifo.
    6. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    7. Charles I. Jones, 2022. "The End of Economic Growth? Unintended Consequences of a Declining Population," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(11), pages 3489-3527, November.
    8. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    9. Jones, Charles I, 1995. "R&D-Based Models of Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(4), pages 759-784, August.
    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. Sasaki, Hiroaki & Hori, Taichi & Hasegawa, Rokuhisa & Tajiri, Shigehiro & Nakamura, Kaito, 2023. "Mankiw-Romer-Weil Model with Declining Population: A Note," MPRA Paper 119457, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Hof, Franz X. & Prettner, Klaus, 2019. "The quest for status and R&D-based growth," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 290-307.
    3. Gerlagh, Reyer, 2022. "Climate, Technology, Family Size; on the Crossroad between Two Ultimate Externalities," Other publications TiSEM b6d5b02f-4624-46fd-836a-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Stephen Turnovsky, 1999. "Knife-Edge Conditions and the Macroeconomics of Small Open Economies," Working Papers 0031, University of Washington, Department of Economics.
    5. Abeliansky, Ana Lucia & Prettner, Klaus, 2023. "Automation and population growth: Theory and cross-country evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 345-358.
    6. Prettner, Klaus & Strulik, Holger, 2020. "Innovation, automation, and inequality: Policy challenges in the race against the machine," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 249-265.
    7. von Maydell, Richard, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and its Effect on Competition and Factor Income Shares," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277654, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association, revised 2024.
    8. Gerlagh, Reyer, 2022. "Climate, Technology, Family Size; on the Crossroad between Two Ultimate Externalities," Discussion Paper 2022-027, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    9. Gerlagh, Reyer, 2023. "Climate, technology, family size; on the crossroad between two ultimate externalities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    10. B. Bhaskara Rao & Arusha Cooray, 2012. "How useful is growth literature for policies in the developing countries?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(6), pages 671-681, February.
    11. Volker Grossmann & Thomas M. Steger & Timo Trimborn, 2016. "Quantifying Optimal Growth Policy," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 18(3), pages 451-485, June.
    12. Adriana Di Liberto, 2007. "Convergence and Divergence in Neoclassical Growth Models with Human Capital," Economia politica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 289-322.
    13. Bloom, David E. et.al., 2013. "Economic impact of non-communicable disease in China and India: Estimates, projections and comparisons," Working Papers 300, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    14. Dierk Herzer & Holger Strulik & Sebastian Vollmer, 2012. "The long-run determinants of fertility: one century of demographic change 1900–1999," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 357-385, December.
    15. Eicher, Theo S. & Turnovsky, Stephen J., 2001. "Transitional dynamics in a two-sector non-scale growth model," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 25(1-2), pages 85-113, January.
    16. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:15:y:2002:i:6:p:1-7 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Prettner, Klaus, 2012. "Public education, technological change and economic prosperity: semi-endogenous growth revisited," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 65414, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Durlauf, Steven N. & Quah, Danny T., 1999. "The new empirics of economic growth," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 235-308, Elsevier.
    19. Bergheim, Stefan, 2007. "Pair-wise cointegration in long-run growth models," Research Notes 24, Deutsche Bank Research.
    20. Bloom, David E. & Cafiero-Fonseca, Elizabeth T. & McGovern, Mark E. & Prettner, Klaus & Stanciole, Anderson & Weiss, Jonathan & Bakkila, Samuel & Rosenberg, Larry, 2014. "The macroeconomic impact of non-communicable diseases in China and India: Estimates, projections, and comparisons," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 4(C), pages 100-111.
    21. Pedro Mazeda Gil & André Almeida, & Sofia B.S.D. Castro,, 2015. "Flexible Transitional Dynamics in a Non-Scale Fully Endogenous Growth Model," CEF.UP Working Papers 1503, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    automation; growth; income distribution; skill premium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E25 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Aggregate Factor Income Distribution
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

    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:pra:mprapa:124420. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.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.