Data for: Skill complementarity and the dual economy

Abstract of associated article: I propose a new explanation for the large productivity gaps between agriculture and nonagriculture observed in developing countries, namely that the elasticity of substitution between skilled and unskilled workers is higher in agriculture than in nonagriculture. I estimate the elasticities in a cross-country data set, and use the results to simulate a simple two-sector model in which heterogeneous elasticities of substitution affect relative sectoral productivity levels through the allocation of human capital. Calibrated to match data from the United States, the model predicts sizable agricultural productivity gaps in countries where the share of highly educated workers in the labor force is low.

关联文章摘要：本文针对发展中国家观测到的农业与非农部门间的显著生产率差距，提出了一种全新解释，即农业部门中熟练工人与非熟练工人（skilled and unskilled workers）之间的替代弹性（elasticity of substitution）高于非农部门。本文利用跨国数据集（cross-country data set）对替代弹性进行估计，并基于估计结果构建简单两部门模型（two-sector model）开展模拟分析：在该模型中，异质性替代弹性通过人力资本（human capital）配置影响部门间相对生产率水平。以美国数据为基准完成校准后，模型预测，在劳动力市场中高学历劳动者占比较低的国家，农业与非农部门间将存在显著的生产率差距。