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The Changing Nature of Work

Author

Listed:
  • Italo Lopez Garcia

    (RAND)

  • Nicole Maestas

    (Harvard Medical School and NBER)

  • Kathleen J. Mullen

    (RAND)

Abstract

We provide new evidence on the changing nature of work and its influence on individuals’ capacity to work by linking historical measures of occupational job demands with harmonized data on individual abilities from a unique survey conducted in the RAND American Life Panel in 2018. We start by examining how job demands have evolved over time between 2003 and 2018 for different dimensions of abilities (cognitive, physical, sensory and psychomotor), overall and by educational group. We then decompose job demand changes into within-occupation changes and changes in the economy’s distribution of occupations. Finally, we provide evidence on how individuals’ work capacities have evolved over time due to job demand changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Italo Lopez Garcia & Nicole Maestas & Kathleen J. Mullen, 2020. "The Changing Nature of Work," Working Papers wp415, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:mrr:papers:wp415
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Enghin Atalay & Phai Phongthiengtham & Sebastian Sotelo & Daniel Tannenbaum, 2020. "The Evolution of Work in the United States," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 1-34, April.
    2. Péter Hudomiet & Michael D. Hurd & Susann Rohwedder & Robert J. Willis, 2017. "The Effect of Physical and Cognitive Decline at Older Ages on Work and Retirement: Evidence from Occupational Job Demands and Job Mismatch," Working Papers wp372, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    3. Shintaro Yamaguchi, 2012. "Tasks and Heterogeneous Human Capital," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(1), pages 1-53.
    4. Anek Belbase & Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher & Christopher M. Gillis, 2016. "How Do Job Skills That Decline With Age Affect White-Collar Workers?," Issues in Brief ib2016-6, Center for Retirement Research.
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