|
ZEF Discussion Papers on Devlopment Policy 7
Pdf ko'rish
|
| bet | 14/43 | | Sana | 20.05.2024 | | Hajmi | 363,42 Kb. | | #245457 |
Bog'liq zef dp07ZEF Discussion Papers on Devlopment Policy 7
13
comparisons are being made. In developing countries, access to information is already unequal,
and restricting investments on the basis of this argument (i.e., fear of exacerbating informational
inequality) will certainly lead to the perpetuation of these inequalities. The policy environment
now emerging in several developing countries (marked, for example, by policies allowing
private sector participation, and investments in public-use facilities), especially with regard to
the more recent information and communication technologies, suggests that these technologies
may become more widely diffused. This new environment and the spread of new and cheaper
methods of communicating and acquiring information may indeed have ameliorating effects that
lead to the attrition of information monopolies and in turn to a more equitable income
distribution.
The other channel through which investments in ICTs may have a bearing on income
distribution are through their effects on employment. Roche and Blaine (1996) argue that the
diffusion of these technologies may increase the demand for skilled labor and render traditional
skills and a variety of jobs redundant. A large body of empirical literature has examined whether
the recent increases in wage inequality in the US and other developed countries is related to an
ICT-induced increase in the relative demand for skilled labor.
18
While it is possible that these
technologies may exacerbate wage inequality in some countries, the outcome will probably vary
from one country/region to another and will be be determined by the supply of labor and
institutional features of the labor market.
Furthermore, it is also possible that the diffusion of these technologies may spark an
overall expansion in employment that may increase demand for all types of workers. As pointed
out earlier, the expansion of ICTs may be expected to increase the overall and factor productivity
of organizations. The increase in the marginal productivity of labor may lead to an increase in
employment for all types of labor.
19
Also, if ICTs reduce uncertainty and enhance the efficiency
of product and factor markets, their spread may be expected to bring about increases in the flow
of capital and in output. The higher employment accompanying these increased investments and
output may indeed have a positive effect on income distribution.
18
A detailed discussion of these papers is provided in the following section.
19
While it is evident that wage inequality is related to the relative employment of skilled and unskilled workers, it
is by no means clear that an economy-wide expansion possibly generated by the diffusion of ICTs will be biased
towards more skilled workers.
|
| |
