Task specialization in U.S. cities from 1880-2000

Guy Michaels, Ferdinand Rauch and Stephen Redding

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: We develop a new methodology for quantifying the tasks undertaken within occupations using over 3,000 verbs from more than 12,000 occupational descriptions in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOTs). Using micro-data from the United States from 1880-2000, we find an increase in the employment share of interactive occupations within sectors over time that is larger in metro areas than non-metro areas. We interpret these findings using a model in which reductions in transport and communication costs induce urban areas to specialize according to their comparative advantage in interactive tasks. We presenting suggestive evidence relating increases in employment in interactive occupations to improvements in transport and communication technologies. Our findings highlight a change in the nature of agglomeration over time towards an increased emphasis on human interaction.

Keywords: economic development; human interaction; urbanization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-06-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-ict and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published in Journal of the European Economic Association, 1, June, 2019, 17(3), pp. 754–798. ISSN: 1542-4766

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/85163/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880 to 2000 (2019)
Working Paper: Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000 (2013)
Working Paper: Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000 (2013)
Working Paper: Task specialization in U.S. cities from 1880-2000 (2013)
Working Paper: Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000 (2013)
Working Paper: Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000 (2013)
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