Information technology and employment: The impact of job tasks and worker skills

Abstract

This study examines worker displacement from the job task framework in which tasks performed by workers interact with information technology in different ways and therefore can potentially lead to worker displacement. It also investigates what kinds of skills are more helpful for reemployment in today's increasingly computerized workplaces. It utilizes seven US displaced worker supplement surveys from 1998 to 2010 to investigate these issues at individual worker level. The results show that employees performing routine tasks at workplaces are more likely to be displaced, while those performing abstract and service tasks are less likely to be displaced. It also finds that information technology can be both upskilling and deskilling, depending on the kinds of jobs performed by workers.