The Diffusion of New Technologies

Aakash Kalyani, Nicholas Bloom, Marcela Carvalho, Tarek Hassan, Josh Lerner and Ahmed Tahoun

No 28999, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We identify phrases associated with novel technologies using textual analysis of patents, job postings, and earnings calls, enabling us to identify four stylized facts on the diffusion of jobs relating to new technologies. First, the development of economically impactful new technologies is geographically highly concentrated, more so even than overall patenting: 56% of the most economically impactful technologies come from just two U.S. locations, Silicon Valley and the Northeast Corridor. Second, as the technologies mature and the number of related jobs grows, hiring spreads geographically. But this process is very slow, taking around 50 years to disperse fully. Third, while initial hiring in new technologies is highly skill biased, over time the mean skill level in new positions declines, drawing in an increasing number of lower-skilled workers. Finally, the geographic spread of hiring is slowest for higher-skilled positions, with the locations where new technologies were pioneered remaining the focus for the technology’s high-skill jobs for decades.

JEL-codes: O31 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-ino, nep-pay, nep-tid and nep-ure
Note: EFG IFM PR
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Diffusion of New Technologies (2024)
Working Paper: The Diffusion of New Technologies (2024)
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