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Engines of Sectoral Labor Productivity Growth

Author

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  • Zsofia Barany

    (ECON - Département d'économie (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research)

  • Christian Siegel

    (Kent Business School, University of Kent)

Abstract

We study the origins of labor productivity growth and its differences across sectors. In our model, sectors employ workers of different occupations and various forms of capital, none of which are perfect substitutes, and technology evolves at the sector-factor cell level. Using the model we infer technologies from US data over 1960-2017. We find that sectoral differences in labor productivity growth are largely due to sectoral differences in the growth rate of routine labor augmenting technologies. Neither capital accumulation nor the occupational employment structure within sectors explains much of the sectoral differences in labor productivity growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Zsofia Barany & Christian Siegel, 2021. "Engines of Sectoral Labor Productivity Growth," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03493705, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-03493705
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2020.07.007
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03493705
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    Cited by:

    1. L. Rachel Ngai & Orhun Sevinc, 2020. "A Multisector Perspective on Wage Stagnation," Discussion Papers 2026, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    2. Sizhong Sun, 2023. "Firm heterogeneity, worker training and labor productivity: the role of endogenous self-selection," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 121-133, April.
    3. Nong, Duy & Mason-D’Croz, Daniel & Lu, Yingying & Marcos Martinez, Raymundo & Palmer, Jeda, 2021. "An introduction of GTEM-Food: A baseline calibration with a focus on food," Conference papers 333304, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    4. Diego Comin & Ana Danieli & Martí Mestieri, 2020. "Income-Driven Labor-Market Polarization," Working Paper Series WP-2020-22, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    5. Pena, Werner & Siegel, Christian, 2023. "Routine-biased technical change, structure of employment, and cross-country income differences," CEPR Discussion Papers 18366, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Sen, Ali, 2020. "Structural change within the services sector, Baumol's cost disease, and cross-country productivity differences," MPRA Paper 99614, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Georg Duernecker & Berthold Herrendorf, 2022. "Structural Transformation of Occupation Employment," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 789-814, October.
    8. Pena, Werner & Siegel, Christian, 2023. "Routine-biased technical change, structure of employment, and cross-country income differences," CEPR Discussion Papers 18366, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Biased technological change; Structural transformation; Labor productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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