IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unm/unumer/2006006.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Beyond unobserved heterogeneity in computer wage premiums / Data on computer use in Germany, 1997 – 2001

Author

Listed:
  • Muysken, Joan

    (University of Maastricht, Faculty of Economics)

  • Schim van der Loeff, S.

    (University of Maastricht, Department of Quantitative Economics)

  • Cheshko, Valeria

    (London School of Economics)

Abstract

Beyond unobserved heterogeneity in computer wage premiums: Most findings on the (non-)existence of a wage premium on computer use are biased because they are based on single-equation estimation of a wage equation. Controlling for fixed effects ignores the simultaneity problem. Through the introduction of a latent variable, “PC-feasibility”, we tackle the problem of simultaneity and account for unobserved heterogeneity. Due to the simultaneous nature of wage determination and computer use, the premium for computer use becomes dependent on person and job characteristics. Imposing testable restrictions on the reduced form enables us to identify the factors that determine wages and enhance computer use. The model is estimated using German data, 1997-2001 Data on computer use in Germany, 1997 – 2001: This paper describes the GSOEP data, 1997-2001, used in Muysken and Schim van der Loeff (2006). The data contain relevant information on individuals, with a focus on the computer use both at home and at work. The construction of the relevant data set for the period 1997 - 2001 is presented in section 2. A more detailed discussion of the data is presented in section 3 for the 1997 wave. Interesting observations are that most workers who use a computer at work started to use a computer at home simultaneously or later. Also the average number of years of employment for workers exceeds the period of the sample. Moreover there is a huge amount of inertia for computer use at work. This emphasises that fixed effects do not only control for unobserved individual characteristics, but also firm and job related characteristics. Finally, for rather homogenous groups of workers wages do not appear to vary systematically with computer use.

Suggested Citation

  • Muysken, Joan & Schim van der Loeff, S. & Cheshko, Valeria, 2006. "Beyond unobserved heterogeneity in computer wage premiums / Data on computer use in Germany, 1997 – 2001," MERIT Working Papers 2006-006, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
  • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2006006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2006/wp2006-006.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Entorf, Horst & Gollac, Michel & Kramarz, Francis, 1999. "New Technologies, Wages, and Worker Selection," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(3), pages 464-491, July.
    2. Felix Buchel & Antje Mertens, 2004. "Overeducation, undereducation, and the theory of career mobility," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(8), pages 803-816.
    3. de New, John & Schmidt, Christoph M., 1999. "Money for Nothing and Your Chips for Free? The Anatomy of the PC Wage Differential," IZA Discussion Papers 86, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Alan B. Krueger, 1993. "How Computers Have Changed the Wage Structure: Evidence from Microdata, 1984–1989," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(1), pages 33-60.
    5. David H. Autor & Lawrence F. Katz & Alan B. Krueger, 1998. "Computing Inequality: Have Computers Changed the Labor Market?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(4), pages 1169-1213.
    6. John E. DiNardo & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 1997. "The Returns to Computer Use Revisited: Have Pencils Changed the Wage Structure Too?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(1), pages 291-303.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cindy Zoghi & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, 2007. "Which workers gain upon adopting a computer?," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 40(2), pages 423-444, May.
    2. Borghans, L. & ter Weel, B.J., 2000. "How Computerization changes the UK Labour Market: The Facts viewed from a new perspective," ROA Working Paper 7E, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    3. Axel Franzen, 2001. "Wages and the Use of New Technologies: An Empirical Analysis of the Swiss Labor Market," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 137(IV), pages 505-523, December.
    4. Handel, Michael J., 2003. "Implications of Information Technology for Employment, Skills, and Wages: A Review of Recent Research," MPRA Paper 80077, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Paola Gritti & Riccardo Leoni, 2013. "The impact on wages of generic competencies, psychological capital, new work practices and digital technologies," Working Papers (2013-) 1301, University of Bergamo, Department of Management, Economics and Quantitative Methods.
    6. Silke Anger & Johannes Schwarze, 2003. "Does Future PC Use Determine Our Wages Today? — Evidence from German Panel Data," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 17(3), pages 337-360, September.
    7. Angel de la Fuente & Antonio Ciccone, 2003. "Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 562.03, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    8. Cindy Zoghi & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, 2007. "Which workers gain upon adopting a computer?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(2), pages 423-444, May.
    9. Borghans, Lex & ter Weel, Bas, 2007. "The diffusion of computers and the distribution of wages," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 715-748, April.
    10. Franz, Wolfgang, 1999. "Real and monetary challenges to wage policy in Germany at the turn of the millennium: technical progress, globalization and European Monetary Union," ZEW Discussion Papers 99-48, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. Lex Borghans & Bas ter Weel, 2006. "Do We Need Computer Skills to Use a Computer? Evidence from Britain," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 20(3), pages 505-532, September.
    12. Benoit Dostie & Mathieu Trépanier, 2004. "Return to Computer Use and Organizational Practices of the firm," Cahiers de recherche 04-06, HEC Montréal, Institut d'économie appliquée.
    13. Fertig, Michael, 2003. "Who's to Blame? The Determinants of German Students' Achievement in the PISA 2000 Study," RWI Discussion Papers 4, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    14. Lee, Sang-Hyop & Kim, Jonghyuk, 2004. "Has the Internet changed the wage structure too?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 119-127, February.
    15. Borghans L. & Weel B. ter, 2000. "How computerizaton changes the UK Labour Market: The Facts viewed from a new Perspective," ROA Working Paper 010, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    16. David Kaplan & Karen Mossberger, 2012. "Prospects for Poor Neighborhoods in the Broadband Era," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(1), pages 95-105, February.
    17. Borghans, Lex & ter Weel, Bas, 2004. "What happens when agent T gets a computer?: The labor market impact of cost efficient computer adoption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 137-151, June.
    18. Díaz, Carlos & Dodel, Matías & Menese, Pablo, 2022. "Can one laptop per child reduce digital inequalities? ICT household access patterns under Plan Ceibal," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9).
    19. Alexandra Spitz-Oener, 2008. "The Returns to Pencil Use Revisited," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 61(4), pages 502-517, July.
    20. Borgmans, Lex & Weel, Bas ter, 2000. "How computerization changes the UK labour market: The facts viewed from a new perspective," Research Memorandum 025, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cross-Sectional Models; Wage Differentials by Skill;

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2006006. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ad Notten (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/meritnl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.