Industrial Change, Stability of Relative Earnings, and Substitution of Unskilled Labor in West Germany


Steiner, Viktor ; Mohr, Robert


[img]
Vorschau
PDF
dp9822.pdf - Veröffentlichte Version

Download (84kB)

URL: http://ub-madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/665
URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:180-madoc-6655
Dokumenttyp: Arbeitspapier
Erscheinungsjahr: 1998
Titel einer Zeitschrift oder einer Reihe: None
Sprache der Veröffentlichung: Englisch
Einrichtung: Sonstige Einrichtungen > ZEW - Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung
MADOC-Schriftenreihe: Veröffentlichungen des ZEW (Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung) > ZEW Discussion Papers
Fachgebiet: 330 Wirtschaft
Fachklassifikation: JEL: J23 F16 J31 O33 ,
Normierte Schlagwörter (SWD): Deutschland <Westliche Länder> , Arbeitslosigkeit , Geschlechtsunterschied , Ausbildung
Abstract: We analyze the dramatic decline of the employment share of unskilled labor in the West German economy, in particular its relation to the relatively rigid earnings structure. We find that the substitution elasticity between unskilled and skilled labor is rather low in most sectors of the economy. However, the substitution elasticity is relatively high for males in the construction sector and for females in personal services. In these sectors, earnings of unskilled workers have even increased relative to skilled workers in the observation period. Hence, in these sectors reductions in the relative earnings of unskilled workers could have contributed to the stabilization of their relative employment level. In other sectors of the economy, the decline in the skills ratio, i.e. the employment share of unskilled relative to skilled workers, attributable to an inflexible earnings structure seems to have been modest compared to the trend decline in the skills ratio. The skills ratio has declined by about 3% (6%) per year for men (women). This decline has been relatively uniform across sectors of the economy. Potential effects of intensified international competition and skill–biased technological change on the relative employment and earnings position of unskilled workers are also discussed. We find some modest effects from international competition and technological change on the employment share of unskilled labor in the manufacturing sector.
Zusätzliche Informationen:




Das Dokument wird vom Publikationsserver der Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim bereitgestellt.




Metadaten-Export


Zitation


+ Suche Autoren in

+ Download-Statistik

Downloads im letzten Jahr

Detaillierte Angaben



Sie haben einen Fehler gefunden? Teilen Sie uns Ihren Korrekturwunsch bitte hier mit: E-Mail


Actions (login required)

Eintrag anzeigen Eintrag anzeigen