Measuring structural upgrading: applying principal component analysis in a global value chain framework

Abstract The main objective of the article is to analyze, based on the analysis of principal components and data grouping, the relationship between structural upgrading indicators and the inclusion of those countries in the GVCs for a group of 43 countries. To achieve this objective, the study builds six upgrading indicators in three dimensions: product, process and functional. In addition to these six indicators, the study uses an indicator that measures the complexity of countries' productive structures. The results show that structural complexity has a positive and statistically significant relationship with the share of wages in income, and more capital-intensive countries also have higher levels of labor productivity and employment associated with exports. The study also shows a diversity of development patterns related to participation in GVCs and the structural upgrading process

摘要 本研究的核心目标为：依托主成分分析与数据分组方法，针对43个国家的样本群体，剖析结构升级指标与各国融入全球价值链（Global Value Chains, GVCs）的关联。为达成该研究目标，本文从产品、流程、功能三个维度构建了六项升级指标。除上述六项指标外，本研究还引入了一项用以衡量国家生产结构复杂度的指标。研究结果显示，生产结构复杂度与收入中的工资占比存在显著正向统计相关关系；资本密集度更高的国家，其出口关联的劳动生产率与就业水平也相对更高。此外，本研究还揭示了与参与全球价值链（GVCs）及结构升级进程相关的多样化发展模式。