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Coworker Complementarity

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  • Frank Neffke

    (Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS))

Abstract

How important is working with people who complement one’s skills? Using administrative data that record which of 491 educational tracks each worker in Sweden absolved, I quantify the educational ?t among coworkers along two dimensions: coworker match and coworker substitutability. Complementary coworkers raise wages with a comparable factor as does a college degree, whereas working with close substitutes is associated with wage penalties. Moreover, this coworker ?t does not only account for large portions of the urban and large-plant wage premiums, but the returns to own schooling and the urban wage premium are almost completely contingent on ?nding complementary coworkers.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank Neffke, 2017. "Coworker Complementarity," SPRU Working Paper Series 2017-05, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:sru:ssewps:2017-05
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    1. Andres Gomez-Lievano, 2018. "Methods and Concepts in Economic Complexity," Papers 1809.10781, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2018.
    2. Matte Hartog & Frank Neffke, 2017. "Does Managerial Experience Affect Strategic Change?," SPRU Working Paper Series 2017-06, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.

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