• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.181-187
• /
• 2011

This paper deals with the job creation effect of economic growth by focusing on the types of technological progress. The hypothesis is that labor-saving technological change may create less job than capital-saving or factor-neutral ones. The hypothesis is proved theoretically using an equilibrium model of labor market. Empirically, first, a simulation experiment is performed to check the hypothesis empirically and confirms it. Secondly, we look at labor/capital ratio since it may be affected by the type of technological improvement. One important policy implication is that job creation effect of economic growth depends on the structure of labor supply as well as that of labor demand.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2007

In this study, we estimated a CES production function for the Korean economy. We have found in the empirical results that the elasticity of the factor substitution is less than one and that the Korean economy exhibits labor-saving technological progress. In addition, we obtained the regression coefficient of R&D investment on technological change, i.e., the elasticity of R&D investment with respect to the technological change was 0.26% point. It implies that if R&D stock increases by 1%, labor efficiency increases 0.26% point through technological progress which is Hicksian non-neutral. It confirms that innovation-based growth strategy by increasing R&D investment would be effective on the one hand. Some policy consideration on the other might be needed for an increase in employment which is offset by technological progress.

• East Asian Economic Review
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.313-336
• /
• 2020

In this paper, I review evidence on changing global specialization in labor-intensive exporting. Production of apparel, footwear, furniture, and related products are how many low-income countries first enter export manufacturing. Just as China's rise as a powerhouse in these goods supplanted a role previously occupied by the East Asian Tigers, the world may again be on the cusp of significant change in where labor-intensive goods are produced. China's prowess in these sectors peaked in the early 2010s; its share in their global exports, while still substantial, is now in decline. Mechanisms through which the global economy may adjust to China's graduation into more technologically sophisticated activities include expanded labor-intensive export production in other emerging economies and labor-saving technological change in products currently heavily reliant on less-educated labor. Available evidence suggests that the first mechanism is operating slowly and the second hardly at all. As a third mechanism, China may in part replace itself by moving labor-heavy factories out of densely populated and expensive coastal cities and into the country's interior. Such a transition, though still in its infancy, would mirror the decentralization of manufacturing production in the U.S. and Europe, which occurred after World War II.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.29-61
• /
• 2016

This paper explains the one of the most problematic factor in the society that leads to social inequality - increase in non-regular work. Theoretically, this expansion of non-regular work can be explained by technologies that are designed to save the labor force, especially since corporations in Korea have strategies to replace the regular workers with temporary workers, to save money. OECD also noted that Korea's income inequality is pretty high in ranking when compared with the rest of the OECD members, and says that globalization and technological innovation are the factors of this problem. To refine the argument, this study also looks at relationship between development made in sciences - which can be stated as a proxy variable to look at the advances made in technology - and expansion of temporary work force by using VAR methodology. Based on the results of this analysis in the future temporary/regular workers ratio started with decline, then turn to rise. These temporary/regular workers ratio sustained growth prediction shows that the expansion of the temporary expansion contributes to instability and social inequality in the labor market and technological change are interrelated.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.257-290
• /
• 2005

Korean energy use in industrial sector has increased more rapidly than other sectors during 1980~2000 periods. Relatively higher increases in industrial sector energy consumption raise questions whether government policy of rationalization of industrial energy use has been effective. In this study, we use 80-85-90 and 90-95-00 constant price input-output table to analyze increases in industrial energy use. Using an adjusted version of structural decomposition model introduced by Chen and Rose (1990), we decompose Changes of energy use into 17 elements. We classify entire industry sector into 32 sectors including four energy sectors (coal and coal products, refined petroleum, electricity and town gas). We then analyze changes of energy use by industrial level to check differences among industrial energy demand structures. Finally, we compare three industries, electronic product manufacturing, metal manufacturing and construction, that represent technology and capital intensive, energy and material intensive and labor and capital intensive industry. As results, we find that high energy using industries make the most effort to reduce energy use. Primary metal, petrochemical and mon-metal industries show improvements in elements such as energy and material productivity, energy and material imports, energy substitution and material substitutions towards energy saving. These results imply that although those industries are heavy users of energy, they put the best effort to reduce energy use relative to other industries. We find various patterns of change in industrial energy use at industrial level. To reduce energy use, electronic product manufacturing industry needs more effort to improve technological change element while construction industry needs more effort to improve material input structure element.