• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-28
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• 2011

This paper empirically tests the theory that labor demand elasticity of unionized firms would be smaller than that of nonunionized firms, using the Korean firms' panel data for 1990-2009. The major findings are the following: First, the estimates of labor demand elasticity of unionized firms are in the range of 0.34-0.49, less than a half of those of nonunionized firms, hence supporting the theory. Second, the unionized firms are more rigid in dynamic adjustment of employment than nonunionized firms. Finally, there are no significant differences between unionized and nonunionized firms in the elasticity of substitution.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-44
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• 2013

This paper surveys the existing literatures on labor demand of Korea. It has been found that labor and capital are substitutes in Korea and the result holds even if labor is decomposed into white collar and blue collar workers. The elasticity of substitution lies between 0 and 1. It is yet unclear if employment and work hours are substitutes. The reduction of legal work week did not increase employment although decreased work hours. The labor demand elasticity is below 0.5 in the short run. Since mid 1990s, the technological change has shown skill bias and therefore increased demand for skilled labor.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.44-60
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• 2010

Under the continuing economic growth without increase in employment, issues regarding the impact of IT investment on demand for labor have been continuously raised. Under the circumstance, this study carried out an empirical analysis on the impact of IT investment on employment with a sample of 498 businesses whose domestic sales for the period of six years from 2003 to 2008 are KRW 100 billion or above. The result of the analysis found that IT investment increases employment in most of the industries except for some of the service sectors. In the manufacturing industry, more IT investment increased employment but decreased the flexibility in demand for labor; therefore, IT investment has a substitutional relationship with low-skilled labor and a complementary relationship with high-skilled labor. In the areas of electricity, gas and construction, employment increased as IT investment increased, with the greatest flexibility in demand for labor. In the service industry, increase in IT investment led to more employment and higher flexibility in producer services only. On the other hand, there was no meaningful relationship found between IT investment and employment in the areas of distribution services and social services.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.91-132
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• 2014

We investigate the effect of ICT capital on the demands for labor and energy in manufacturing and electricity gas water industries of Korea, US, and UK. Assuming ICT capital, non-ICT capital, labor, electricity, fuel, and material as input factors for manufacturing and ICT capital, non-ICT capital, labor and energy material as input factors for electricity gas water industry, we estimate the Morishima elasticities of substitution. Considering the relative price changes of input factors, ICT capital has substituted labor in manufacturing and electricity water gas industries of the three countries. ICT capital has substituted both electricity and fuel in US and UK manufacturing. Although ICT capital has substituted electricity and fuel each other in Korean manufacturing, ICT capital is unlikely to decrease the demands for electricity and fuel when considering their relative price changes. ICT capital has substituted energy material in electricity gas water industries of the three countries.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.1-35
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• 2019

This paper compares the effects of income transfer and wage subsidy in a simple general equilibrium model. The redistributive effects of both policies are smaller, the more intensive in low wage workers are the luxury goods production. Wage subsidy contributes more to employment and GDP relative to income subsidy, but its redistributive effects can be smaller depending on the elasticities of labor demand supply. More complete empirical analysis appears due on the effects of both policies in order to design an optimal mix of efficiency and equity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.5843-5849
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• 2015

This study analyzes the factor demand structure of sweet persimmon as a part of finding out cost cutting measures. Income and cost data from 2001~2013 Agricultural Income Survey are used for placing the translog cost function and estimating price elasticies and cross elasticities of labor, capital and intermediate input. The result shows that own price elasticities of all factors are small in absolute terms. Additionally the result indicates capital and intermediate input cannot be a substitution for labor, which is a top-line cost-share. It means that the demand for labor cconstitutionally can't be reduced in a short time. This implies that cost reduction should be done focusing on intermediate input, particularly on fertilizer and materials which have higher price elasticity of demand.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.35-72
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• 2008

This paper examines whether me effects of product demand shocks on employment are different between unionized and non-unionized firms, using new firm-level longitudinal data in Korea over the period 1997~2004. The estimation result shows that the effects of both negative and positive demand shocks on employment are smaller in unionized firms than in non-unionized firms. The result implies that unions appear to provide their members with job stability in response to negative demand shocks, while playing a very limited role in employment determination in response to positive demand shocks leading to employment expansion.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2008

This is an empirical study in Korea on the effects of the minimum wage. Based on the survey data of security workers of 132 apartment in Seoul metro area, the study finds that the introduction of minimum wage in this sector in 2007 raised wage by 10.9%, reduced employment and work hours by 3.5-4.1% and 13.5% respectively. This implies a short run wage elasticity of employment of -0.312 but much higher elasticity of work hours of -1.68.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.29-54
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• 2005

This paper presents a simple two-sector general equilibrium model of noncomparative advantage trade between structurally identical advanced economies. Attention has focused on the effects of trade in information technology (IT) goods and services on the wage inequality in the digital economy. The model confirms and illustrates that wage inequality in the digital economy reflect trade in IT goods and services between advanced economies. In particular, this paper shows that even though the relative price of skilled labor-intensive technology good is declined with trade in IT goods and services, the wage of skilled labor increases. The reason is that as Jorgenson (2001) has empirically found, the price elasticity of demand for the technology goods is elastic.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.961-974
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• 2006

This paper estimates output and price elasticities of the industrial water in order to provide the government with tools that help make educated decisions with regard with the water provision policies rendering the latter more efficient. The estimated output elasticity produces useful insights on the role of industrial water as an input into the production process while the estimate of price elasticity enablesus to forecast the effects of various water pricing policies. This paper employs the marginal productivity method in order to estimate the abovementioned elasticities. The magnitude of the estimated output elasticity imply that the value of industrial water is much higher than its average price while the price elasticity estimate suggests that the water pricing policy can be an effective tool of controlling the demand for industrial water.