Deskilling Revisited: New Evidence on the Skill Trajectory of the Australian Economy 2001-2007

Abstract:     
This paper introduces a new generic metric for the skill content of jobs, based on Spenner's substantive complexity-autonomy/control model, but adding a third dimension, skill-intensity. Cross-sectional data from seven waves of HILDA, a large Australian panel survey, are analysed to show that the average skill-intensity of Australian jobs declined over the first half of the decade but subsequently rose again. Task discretion showed a mixed pattern, with individual autonomy and involvement in workplace decision-making in slight decline, while control over the timing of work increased steadily over the six years. Contrary to the assumptions behind the Spenner model, the association between skill-intensity and task discretion was not consistent across the spectrum of occupations, with a number of professions, notably in the public sector, showing high skill-intensity but relatively low task discretion.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 17

Keywords: skill, measurement of skill, deskilling, workplace learning, worker autonomy, Kenneth Spenner, HILDA

JEL Classification: J24, J29

working papers series