本文考察计算机在生产中的使用如何导致劳动收入占比下降。我们假定计算机可以替代劳动力提供的常规任务,却无法替代非常规任务。技术进步促使厂商用更多的计算机替代劳动力提供的常规任务,导致劳动收入占比下降。我们利用工业企业数据对上述结论进行了验证,结果表明企业中人均计算机的数量越多,企业工资和福利总额占其总产值的比重越低。本文还发现企业出口比例上升可以提高企业劳动收入占比,资本深化则使劳动收入占比下降。
This paper investigates how the use of computer affects labor share. We assume computer substitutes for routine task but complements non - routine task of labor. Technological change drives down the unit price of computer task, and firms use more computers instead of labor to perform routine task, causing the labor share to decline. Using a data set of China's industrial enterprises, we find that more computer use is associated with lower labor share both in cross - sectional and panel models. We also find that more export is associated with higher labor share, while capital deepening is associated with lower labor share.