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The Role of Product Diversification in Skill-Biased Technological Change

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  • Hyun Nam, Choong

Abstract

Since the 1980s, labour demand has shifted toward more educated workers in the US. The most common explanation is that the productivity of skilled workers has risen relative to the unskilled, but it is not easy to explain why aggregate labour productivity was stagnant during the 1980s. This paper suggests an alternative story: introducing new goods involves a xed labour input, which is biased toward white-collar workers. Hence the transition from Ford-style mass production towards more diversied one has shifted labour demand toward white-collar workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyun Nam, Choong, 2014. "The Role of Product Diversification in Skill-Biased Technological Change," Economic Research Papers 270225, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uwarer:270225
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.270225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Beaudry & David A. Green & Benjamin M. Sand, 2016. "The Great Reversal in the Demand for Skill and Cognitive Tasks," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(S1), pages 199-247.
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    8. Acemoglu, Daron & Autor, David, 2011. "Skills, Tasks and Technologies: Implications for Employment and Earnings," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 12, pages 1043-1171, Elsevier.
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