Delving into the demand side: Changes in workplace specialization and job polarization

B-Tier
Journal: Labour Economics
Year: 2019
Volume: 57
Issue: C
Pages: 164-176

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

We show that occupational specialization within workplaces in Great Britain is high and is increasing over time. Alongside this increase in specialization, there has been a substantial shift towards specialization in non-routine occupations. This shift accounts for much of the expansion in the aggregate employment share of these occupations documented in the literature on job polarization. Using unique information on outsourcing behavior at the workplace level, we show that the increased specialization in non-routine cognitive occupations is linked to increasing trade in cognitive tasks between firms.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:labeco:v:57:y:2019:i:c:p:164-176
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25