Wage inequality, technology, and trade

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zeira, Joseph
• 署名单位: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0531
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2006.03.011
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 79-103
• 关键词: wage inequality; Skill-biased technical change; international trade; productivity differences

摘要

The recent widening of wage inequality has been attributed by some to skill-biased-technical-change and by others to trade liberalization. This paper examines the two explanations within a unified model and also presents a new modeling of skill-biased-technical-change, where skilled workers replace unskilled ones. As a result technology adoption is endogenous and does not occur in all countries. Hence, wages for both types of workers, trade patterns and also factor productivities in all countries are endogenously determined. The model sheds light on the relationship between technology and trade, on the reasons for global productivity differences and on the causes for the recent rise in wage inequality. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.