The Effect of R&D Growth on Employment and Self-Employment in Local Labour Markets
41 Pages Posted: 26 Jan 2018
Date Written: March 23, 2018
Abstract
The paper investigates the effects of firms’ investment in Research and Development (R&D) on employment dynamics in the British local labour markets (Travel to Work Areas). We distinguish between local areas characterised by the initial level of routinised employment of the workforce. We implement a instrumenting strategy to address endogeneity issues in the relation between innovation and employment. Our results suggest that increases in R&D investments mainly affect routinised areas, where the employment created is low skilled, concentrated in non-tradable sectors (like transport, construction) and services. A significant share of the jobs created is self-employment, concentrated in the 25-34 age cohort. We qualify the effect of R&D on self-employment by looking at local firms’ dynamics, which suggest that the increase in self-employment is reflected in a higher number of micro-firms. Rather, in non-routinized areas, R&D results in the expected increase in the demand of high-skilled workers and a reduced demand of low-skill employment.
Keywords: Innovation; R&D investments; Employment; Self-employment; Local Labour Markets; Routinisation; Skills
JEL Classification: O33; J24; D3
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation