DP1490 Small Firms, Contracting-out, Computers and Wage Inequality: Evidence from UK Manufacturing
Author(s): | Jonathan Haskel |
Publication Date: | October 1996 |
Keyword(s): | Computers, Skill Premia, Small Firms, UK, Wage Inequality |
JEL(s): | J31 |
Programme Areas: | Human Resources |
Link to this Page: | cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=1490 |
What demand-side and institutional factors raised the skilled wage premium over the 1980s in UK manufacturing? Using a panel of 80 industries for 1980?89 we find that: (i) the average skill premium rose by around 13 percentage points; (ii) computer introduction explains around 50% of this rise; (iii) growth in small firms and in contracting-out together explain around 20%; and (iv) the fall in unionisation explains around 15%.