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How General Is Human Capital? A Task-Based Approach

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  • Christina Gathmann
  • Uta Schönberg

Abstract

This article studies how portable skills accumulated in the labor market are. Using rich data on tasks performed in occupations, we propose the concept of task-specific human capital to measure empirically the transferability of skills across occupations. Our results on occupational mobility and wages show that labor market skills are more portable than previously considered. We find that individuals move to occupations with similar task requirements and that the distance of moves declines with experience. We also show that task-specific human capital is an important source of individual wage growth, accounting for up to 52% of overall wage growth. (c) 2010 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

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  • Christina Gathmann & Uta Schönberg, 2010. "How General Is Human Capital? A Task-Based Approach," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 28(1), pages 1-49, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:v:28:y:2010:i:1:p:1-49
    DOI: 10.1086/649786
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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