American Economic Journal:
Macroeconomics
ISSN 1945-7707 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7715 (Online)
Partial Specialization and Heterogeneous Task Assignments
American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics
(pp. 112–47)
Abstract
I develop a general equilibrium model featuring multidimensional skills and partial specialization in tasks to quantify the impact of several determinants on within-occupation inequality growth from 1980 to 2000. The model introduces a new mechanism by which demand shifts affect inequality: Workers within the same occupation perform multiple and different tasks. I structurally estimate the model using microdata and account for inequality growth due to three sources: changes in occupation demand, changes in the task content of occupations, and changes in labor composition. My findings indicate that changes in task content explain the majority of within-occupation inequality growth.Citation
Liu, Chen. 2026. "Partial Specialization and Heterogeneous Task Assignments." American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics 18 (2): 112–47. DOI: 10.1257/mac.20230209Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D63 Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
- J21 Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J23 Labor Demand
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity