GEP Research Paper 06/03
Trade, Human Capital and Labour Market Adjustment
Rod Falvey, David Greenaway and Joana Silva
Abstract
This paper highlights the way in which workers of different age and ability are affected by trade liberalisation. A general-equilibrium model of trade and human-capital is constructed. Individuals differ not only in their endogenous education-level but also in their exogenous age. They can, at any point in their lives, skill-upgrade through (costly) schooling. Trade-adjustment is analyzed as a problem in investment-theory. We find that adjustment can take a long time and older-workers differ from younger-workers in the proportion of population negatively affected and severity of losses. Results suggest that trade-adjustment-assistance should focus on older-unskilled-workers in skilled-abundant-countries and younger-skilled-workers in unskilled-labour-abundant-countries.
Issued in February 2006.
This paper is available in PDF format .