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The impact of information technology on high-skilled labour in services: evidence from firm level panel data

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  • Falk, Martin
  • Seim, Katja

Abstract

This paper analyses the link between the high-skilled employment share and the level of investment in information technology (IT) in the service production process. The analysis is based on an unbalanced panel data set for 933 West German firms over the period 1994-1996. To account for firms which do not employ high-skilled labor, proxied by university graduates, fixed and random effects Tobit models are applied. We investigate whether the importance of IT varies across subsectors by allowing coefficients to differ across the main service sector industries. The empirical evidence indicates that firms with a higher IT investment to output ratio employ a larger fraction of high-skilled workers. However, the size of the IT effect on skill intensity is rather small.

Suggested Citation

  • Falk, Martin & Seim, Katja, 1999. "The impact of information technology on high-skilled labour in services: evidence from firm level panel data," ZEW Discussion Papers 99-58, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:5271
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    Cited by:

    1. Tharavanij, Piyapas, 2007. "Capital Market, Severity of Business Cycle, and Probability of Economic Downturn," MPRA Paper 4953, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Falk, Martin, 2001. "Diffusion of information technology, internet use and the demand of heterogeneous labor," ZEW Discussion Papers 01-48, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Peters, Bettina, 2004. "Employment Effects of Different Innovation Activities: Microeconometric Evidence," ZEW Discussion Papers 04-73, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Falk, Martin, 2002. "Diffusion der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien und die Qualifikationsstruktur der Arbeitskräfte (Diffusion of information and communication technology and the qualification structure of th," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(3), pages 397-410.
    5. Bellmann, Lutz & Caliendo, Marco & Hujer, Reinhard & Radic, Dubravko, 2002. "Beschäftigungswirkungen technisch-organisatorischen Wandels : eine mikroökonometrische Analyse mit dem Linked IAB-Panel (Technological and organisational change and its effects on employment : a micro," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(4), pages 506-522.
    6. Falk, Martin, 2002. "Diffusion der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien und die Qualifikationsstruktur der Arbeitskräfte (Diffusion of information and communication technology and the qualification structure of th," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(3), pages 397-410.
    7. Richard Duhautois & Christine Erhel & Mathilde Guergoat-Larivière & Malo Mofakhami & Monika Obersneider & Dominik Postels & José Ignacio Anton & Rafael Muñoz De Bustillo & Fernando Pinto, 2018. "The Employment and Job Quality Effects of Innovation in France, Germany and Spain: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-02966011, HAL.
    8. Bellmann, Lutz & Caliendo, Marco & Hujer, Reinhard & Radic, Dubravko, 2002. "Beschäftigungswirkungen technisch-organisatorischen Wandels : eine mikroökonometrische Analyse mit dem Linked IAB-Panel (Technological and organisational change and its effects on employment : a micro," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 35(4), pages 506-522.
    9. Ketteni, Elena & Mamuneas, Theofanis & Stengos, Thanasis, 2011. "The Effect Of Information Technology And Human Capital On Economic Growth," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(5), pages 595-615, November.
    10. Yesim Ucdogruk, 2006. "Employment Impact of Product and Process Innovations in Turkey," Ege Academic Review, Ege University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, vol. 6(1), pages 87-99.
    11. Zwick Thomas, 2001. "Supply of Human Capital in Times of Skill Biased Technological Change / Die Reaktion des Humankapitalangebots auf qualifikationsverzerrten technischen Fortschritt," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 221(3), pages 322-335, June.
    12. Marco Vivarelli, 2013. "Technology, Employment and Skills: An Interpretative Framework," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 3(1), pages 66-89, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    demand for high-skilled labor; information technology; service sector; panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L8 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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