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Employment Occupational Structure, Technological Capital and Reorganization of Production

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the role of skill-biased technological progress on the recent changes in the occupational structure of Spanish manufacturing employment. Our dataset consists of a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms during the period 1986-1991. We confirm a puzzle that has been found in other OECD countries: investment in capital inputs is clearly procyclical, but destruction of unskilled jobs and creation of skilled jobs have been concentrated during the recession. However, we also find that the number of firms who invest by first time in technological capital has been clearly countercyclical. Based on this evidence, we estimate a dynamic model where firms take discrete decisions about what labor and capital inputs to use, and continuous decisions on the amount of each selected input. After controlling for individual heterogeneity and self-selection we find that these two decisions have different effects on occupational structure. In particular, we find that for new innovative firms the introduction of technological capital has significant and sizeable effects on the occupational structure of employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Aguirregabiria, Victor & Alonso-Borrego, Cesar, 1997. "Employment Occupational Structure, Technological Capital and Reorganization of Production," University of Western Ontario, Departmental Research Report Series 9703, University of Western Ontario, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwo:uwowop:9703
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    Cited by:

    1. Natália Barbosa & Ana Faria, 2008. "Technology adoption: does labour skill matter? Evidence from Portuguese firm-level data," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 179-194, April.
    2. Even Caroli & John Van Reenen, 1999. "Organization, skill and technology: evidence from a panel of British and French establishments," IFS Working Papers W99/23, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. Piva, Mariacristina & Santarelli, Enrico & Vivarelli, Marco, 2005. "The skill bias effect of technological and organisational change: Evidence and policy implications," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 141-157, March.
    4. Cecilia Garcia-Penalosa & Eve Caroli & Philippe Aghion, 1999. "Inequality and Economic Growth: The Perspective of the New Growth Theories," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1615-1660, December.
    5. Bruno Cesar Araujo & Francesco Bogliacino & Marco Vivarelli, 2009. "The Role of "Skill enhancing Trade" in Brazil: Some Evidence from Microdata," Jena Economics Research Papers 2009-041, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    6. Guido Friebel & Gerard McCullough & Laura Padilla Angulo, 2014. "Patterns of Restructuring The US Class 1 Railroads from 1984 to 2004," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 48(1), pages 115-135, January.
    7. Angel de la Fuente & Antonio Ciccone, 2003. "Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 562.03, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    8. Inés P. Murillo, 2011. "Human capital obsolescence: some evidence for Spain," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(4), pages 426-445, July.
    9. Mariacristina Piva & Marco Vivarelli, 2002. "The Skill Bias: Comparative evidence and an econometric test," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 347-357.
    10. Bruno Cesar Araújo & Francesco Bogliacino & Marco Vivarelli, 2011. "Technology, trade and skills in Brazil: Some evidence from microdata," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali dises1171, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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