That was then, this is now: Skills and Routinization in the 2000s

Davide Consoli, Francesco Vona and Francesco Rentocchini

SPRU Working Paper Series from SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School

Abstract: We analyze changes in the skill content of occupations in US four-digit manufacturing industries between 1999 and 2010. Following a ‘task-based’ approach, we elaborate a measure of Non-Routine skill intensity that captures the effects of industry exposure to both technology and international trade. The paper adds to previous literature by focusing on both the determinants of demand for Non-Routine skills and their effects on industry productivity and wages. The key finding is that import competition from low-wage countries has been a strong driver of demand for NonRoutine skills during the 2000s. Both technology and trade with low-wage countries are associated with mild cross-industry convergence in skill intensity while trade with high and medium wage countries are at root of persistent heterogeneity across occupational groups. We also find that higher Non-Routine skill intensity has had at best a modest effect on productivity and wages, except for high-skill occupations.

Keywords: Skills; Tasks; Routinization; Trade; Technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F16 J21 J23 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-09
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Journal Article: That was then, this is now: skills and routinization in the 2000s (2016)
Working Paper: That was then, this is now: Skills and Routinization in the 2000s (2014)
Working Paper: That was then, this is now: Skills and Routinization in the 2000s (2014)
Working Paper: That was then, this is now: Skills and Routinization in the 2000s (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sru:ssewps:2014-18

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