The Growing Importance of Social Tasks in High-Paying Occupations: Implications for Sorting

• Published in: The Journal of human resources Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 1429 - 1451
• Main Authors: Cortes, Guido Matias, Jaimovich, Nir, Siu, Henry E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison University of Wisconsin Press 01.09.2023
• Subjects: Economic theory; Labor market; Occupational safety; Occupations; Social networks; Social skills; United States > US

We document that, since 1980, higher-paying occupations in the United States have experienced increases in the importance of tasks requiring social skills compared to lower-paying ones. Economic theory indicates that the occupational sorting of workers depends on their comparative advantage in perfo...