The Relative Efficiency of Skilled Labor across Countries: Measurement and Interpretation
中文摘要
我研究高技能劳动与低技能劳动的相对效率如何因国家而异。利用处于不同发展阶段的国家的微观数据，我记录到相对数量与工资的差异与高技能工人在富裕国家相对更具生产率这一事实相一致。我利用受过外国教育的移民的技能溢价的变异，来区分这一模式的两种可能驱动因素：技术的技能偏向以及技能劳动的相对人力资本在各国之间的差异。我发现前者在数量上更为重要，并讨论了这一结果对发展核算的含义。（JEL I26, J24, J31, J61, L16, O15）
Abstract
I study how the relative efficiency of high- and low-skill labor varies across countries. Using microdata for countries at different stages of development, I document that differences in relative quantities and wages are consistent with high-skill workers being relatively more productive in rich countries. I exploit variation in the skill premia of foreign-educated migrants to discriminate between two possible drivers of this pattern: cross-country differences in the skill bias of technology and in the relative human capital of skilled labor. I find that the former is quantitatively more important, and discuss the implications of this result for development accounting. (JEL I26, J24, J31, J61, L16, O15)