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New technologies, workplace organisation and the age structure of the workforce: Firm-level evidence

Author

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  • Patrick Aubert

    (CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE))

  • Eve Caroli

    (EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PJSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Muriel Roger

    (LEA - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationships between new technologies, innovative workplace practices and the age structure of the workforce in a sample of French manufacturing firms. We find evidence that the wage-bill share of older workers is lower in innovative firms and that the opposite holds for younger workers. This age bias affects both men and women. It is also evidenced within occupational groups, thus suggesting that skills do not completely protect workers against the labour-market consequences of ageing. More detailed analysis of employment inflows and outflows shows that new technologies essentially affect older workers through reduced hiring opportunities as compared to younger workers. In contrast, organisational innovations mainly affect the probability of exit, which decreases much more for younger than for older workers following reorganisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Aubert & Eve Caroli & Muriel Roger, 2005. "New technologies, workplace organisation and the age structure of the workforce: Firm-level evidence," Working Papers halshs-00590805, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00590805
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00590805
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Aubert & Ève Caroli & Muriel Roger, 2006. "Nouvelles technologies et nouvelles formes d'organisation du travail. Quelles conséquences pour l'emploi des salariés âgés ?," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 57(6), pages 1329-1349.
    2. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Claire Lelarge & John Van Reenen & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2007. "Technology, Information, and the Decentralization of the Firm," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(4), pages 1759-1799.
    3. Lex Borghans & Bas Weel, 2006. "The Division of Labour, Worker Organisation, and Technological Change," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(509), pages 45-72, February.
    4. Langot, François & Moreno-Galbis, Eva, 2013. "Does the growth process discriminate against older workers?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PB), pages 286-306.
    5. Mathieu Bunel & Jean-Pascal Guironnet, 2011. "Earning Inequalities Between and Within Nests," Working Papers halshs-00868198, HAL.
    6. Lex Borghans & Bas Weel, 2006. "The Division of Labour, Worker Organisation, and Technological Change," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(509), pages 45-72, February.
    7. Cörvers, F. & Kriechel, B. & Montizaan, R.M., 2006. "Scenario-analyse van de vervangingsvraag tot 2010," ROA Working Paper 001, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    8. Jean-Pascal Guironnet & Matthieu Bunel, 2011. "Earning Inequalities Between and Within Nests: A Multilevel Modeling Approach Applied to the Case of France," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 201118, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    9. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    new work practices; technology; older workers; labour demand; changement organisationnel; nouvelles technologies; salariés âgés; demande de travail;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • 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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