Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880-2000

Guy Michaels, Ferdinand Rauch and Stephen Redding

No 18715, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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.

JEL-codes: N92 O18 R12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-lab and nep-ure
Note: ITI
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

Published as TASK SPECIALIZATION IN U.S. CITIES FROM 1880–2000 Guy Michaels London School of Economics Ferdinand Rauch University of Oxford Stephen J. Redding Princeton University and NBER, Journal of the European Economic Association Preprint prepared on 18 January 2018 using jeea.cls v1.0

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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 (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)
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