Trade-Induced Structural Change and the Skill Premium

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics
Year: 2019
Volume: 11
Issue: 3
Pages: 289-326

Authors (2)

Javier Cravino (not in RePEc) Sebastian Sotelo (University of Michigan)

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 study how international trade affects manufacturing employment and the relative wage of unskilled workers when goods and services are traded with different intensities. Manufacturing trade reduces manufacturing prices worldwide, which reduces manufacturing employment if manufactures and services are complements. International trade also raises real income, which reduces manufacturing employment if services are more income elastic than manufactures. Manufacturing production is unskilled-labor-intensive, so that these changes increase the skill premium. We incorporate these mechanisms in a quantitative trade model and show that reductions in trade costs had a negative impact on manufacturing employment and the relative wage of unskilled workers.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejmac:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:289-326
Journal Field
Macro
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25