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Is inequality an unavoidable by-product of skill-biased technical change? No, not necessarily!

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  • Hühne, Philipp

Abstract

This paper compares the evolution of wage inequality along three different skill groups (low-, middle- and high-skilled) across five industrialized countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea and the US). Despite similar exposure to technological change, the countries exhibit significant differences in inequality trajectories, suggesting that inequality is not necessarily an unavoidable by-product of technological change.

Suggested Citation

  • Hühne, Philipp, 2014. "Is inequality an unavoidable by-product of skill-biased technical change? No, not necessarily!," MPRA Paper 58309, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:58309
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/58309/1/MPRA_paper_58309.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David H. Autor & Frank Levy & Richard J. Murnane, 2003. "The skill content of recent technological change: an empirical exploration," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov.
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    4. 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.
    5. David H. Autor & Lawrence F. Katz & Melissa S. Kearney, 2008. "Trends in U.S. Wage Inequality: Revising the Revisionists," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(2), pages 300-323, May.
    6. Maarten Goos & Alan Manning & Anna Salomons, 2009. "Job Polarization in Europe," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 58-63, May.
    7. Steven J. Davis, 1992. "Cross-Country Patterns of Change in Relative Wages," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1992, Volume 7, pages 239-300, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Daron Acemoglu, 2002. "Technical Change, Inequality, and the Labor Market," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(1), pages 7-72, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wage inequality; technical change; labor supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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