Openness, Technological Change and Labor Demand in Pre-Crisis Indonesia

Policy Research

This paper examines the impact of export orientation, import competition, foreign ownership, and the rate of capital accumulation on the relative demand for skilled and unskilled labor in pre-crisis Indonesia. Estimates from an interrelated factor demand analysis indicate that openness and foreign ownership, by themselves, acted to raise the relative demand for unskilled workers in the pre-crisis period, while the newness of capital was associated with increased relative demand for skilled workers. Overall, the relative demand for unskilled workers increased yet their relative wage position weakened. These contrasting relative employment and wage changes are consistent with the examined demand shocks and the greater elasticity of supply of Indonesian unskilled relative to skilled labor.

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Author 
Asep Suryahadi
Paul Chen
Rod Tyers
Author(s)
Paul Chen
Rod Tyers
Research Area 
National
Research Topic 
Keywords 
labour demand
Indonesia
openness
technological change
globalization
Publication Type 
Journal Article