Factor Substitution and Endogenous Growth

We argue that the degree of substitutability between skilled and unskilled workers in production increases long-term income growth rate. Growth rate reaches its maximum when such factors are perfect substitutes, but falls to zero when they are perfect complements. This model brings together the dive...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: LEUNG, Hing-Man
Format: text
Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soe_research/700
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soe_research/article/1699/viewcontent/Factors.pdf
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Institution: Singapore Management University
Language: English
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Summary:We argue that the degree of substitutability between skilled and unskilled workers in production increases long-term income growth rate. Growth rate reaches its maximum when such factors are perfect substitutes, but falls to zero when they are perfect complements. This model brings together the diverging relative wage and the human-capital-growth literature. Easier substitution absorbs more workers into the skilled profession, and their training fuels human capital accumulation and growth. Our result implies, among other things, that growth is positively related to between-and within-group inequality.