Working Paper: NBER ID: w26680
Authors: Peter Q. Blair; David J. Deming
Abstract: In this paper we use detailed job vacancy data to estimate changes in skill demand in the years since the Great Recession. The share of job vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree increased by more than 60 percent between 2007 and 2019, with faster growth in professional occupations and high-wage cities. Since the labor market was becoming tighter over this period, cyclical “upskilling” is unlikely to explain our findings.
Keywords: Skill Demand; Great Recession; Job Vacancies; Labor Market; Education
JEL Codes: J23; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| increase in skill demand (J24) | share of job vacancies requiring a bachelor's degree (J21) |
| share of job vacancies requiring a bachelor's degree (J21) | structural increase in skill demand (J24) |
| cyclical upskilling (J24) | fade over time (Y60) |
| economic conditions (E66) | skill demand (J24) |
| increase in skill demand (J24) | persistence of higher skill requirements (J24) |