Long-Run Substitutability Between More and Less Educated Workers: Evidence from U.S. States, 1950-1990

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2005
Volume: 87
Issue: 4
Pages: 652-663

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We estimate the aggregate long-run elasticity of substitution between more educated workers and less educated workers (the slope of the inverse demand curve for more relative to less educated workers) at the U.S. state level. Our data come from the (five) 1950-1990 decennial censuses. Our empirical approach allows for state and time fixed effects and relies on time- and state-dependent child labor and compulsory school attendance laws as instruments for (endogenous) changes in the relative supply of more educated workers. We find the aggregate long-run elasticity of substitution between more and less educated workers to be around 1.5. © 2005 President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:87:y:2005:i:4:p:652-663
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25