Content area

Abstract

Computers and ICT have changed the way we live and work. The latest WERS 2004 provides a snapshot of how using ICT at the workplace has changed our working lives. Various studies have suggested that the use of a computer at work boosted earnings by as much as 20%. Others suggest this reported impact is due to unobserved heterogeneity. Using excellent data from the WERS employer-employee matched data we compare OLS estimates with those from estimations which include controls for establishments, industrial sectors and occupations and use control function, treatment effects models and Instrumental Variable estimation. We show that the results of OLS estimation grossly overestimate the return to computer use but that including occupation controls, reduces the return to between 3-10%. We explore the return on different IT skills and also find a return to the intensity of computer use as measured by the number of tasks a computer is used for.

Details

1009240
Subject
Title
The Impact of Computer Use, Computer Skills and Computer Use Intensity: Evidence from WERS 2004
Publication title
Source details
CEE Discussion Papers
Publication year
2007
Publication date
2007
Publisher
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Place of publication
St. Louis
Country of publication
United States
Publication subject
Source type
Working Paper
Language of publication
English
Document type
Working Paper
ProQuest document ID
1698186369
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/working-papers/impact-computer-use-skills-intensity-evidence/docview/1698186369/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Copyright FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ST LOUIS 2007
Last updated
2022-11-20
Database
ProQuest One Academic