The geography of new technologies
Files
First author draft
Date
2020-06-15
Authors
Bloom, Nicholas
Hassan, Tarek A.
Kalyani, Aakash
Lerner, Josh
Tahoun, Ahmed
Version
First author draft
OA Version
Citation
N. Bloom, T.A. Hassan, A. Kalyani, J. Lerner, A. Tahoun. 2020. "The Geography of New Technologies." Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series, pp. 1 - 45. https://doi.org/10.36687/inetwp126
Abstract
We identify novel technologies using textual analysis of earnings conference calls, newspapers, announcements, and patents. Our approach enables us to document the rollout of 20 new technologies across firms and labor markets in the U.S. Four stylized facts emerge from our data. First, as technologies develop, the number of new positions related to them grows, but the average education requirements and wage levels of the positions drop. Second, as technologies develop, their employment impact diffuses across the country: initially, technologies are concentrated in local hubs, but over time, their adoption diffuses geographically. Third, despite this diffusion, the initial hubs retain a disproportionate share employment in the technology, particularly at the high-skill end of the spectrum. Finally, technology hubs are more likely to arise in areas with universities and high skilled labor pools.
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License
This version of the work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.