Citation

Discussion Paper Details

Please find the details for DP10242 in an easy to copy and paste format below:

Full Details   |   Bibliographic Reference

Full Details

Title: Trade and Tasks: An Exploration over Three Decades in Germany

Author(s): Sascha O. Becker and Marc-Andreas Muendler

Publication Date: November 2014

Keyword(s): demand for labour, labour force survey, offshoring and trade in tasks

Programme Area(s): International Trade and Regional Economics and Labour Economics

Abstract: This paper combines representative worker-level data that cover time-varying job-level task characteristics of an economy over a long time span with sector-level bilateral trade data. We carefully create longitudinally consistent workplace characteristics from the German Qualification and Career Survey 1979-2006 and prepare trade flow statistics from varying sources. Four main facts emerge: (i) intermediate inputs constitute a major share of imports, and their relevance grows especially in the early decade; (ii) the German workforce increasingly specializes in workplace activities and job requirements that are typically considered non-offshorable, mainly within and not between sectors and occupations; (iii) the imputed activity and job requirement content of German imports grows relatively more intensive in work characteristics typically considered offshorable; and (iv) labour-market institutions at German trade partners are largely unrelated to the changing task content of German imports but German sector-level outcomes exhibit some covariation consistent with faster task offshoring in sectors exposed to lower labour market tightness. We discuss policy implications of these findings.

For full details and related downloads, please visit: https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=10242

Bibliographic Reference

Becker, S and Muendler, M. 2014. 'Trade and Tasks: An Exploration over Three Decades in Germany'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=10242