Working Paper: NBER ID: w31086
Authors: Ufuk Akcigit; Nathan Goldschlag
Abstract: Innovation is a key driver of long run economic growth. Studying innovation requires a clear view of the characteristics and behavior of the individuals that create new ideas. A general lack of rich, large-scale data has constrained such analyses. We address this by introducing a new dataset linking patent inventors to survey, census, and administrative microdata at the U.S. Census Bureau. We use this data to provide a first look at the demographic characteristics, employer characteristics, earnings, and employment dynamics of inventors. These linkages, which will be available to researchers with approved access, dramatically increases the scope of what can be learned about inventors and innovative activity.
Keywords: innovation; patents; inventors; employment dynamics; demographics
JEL Codes: O30; O40
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| gender (J16) | representation in innovation (O35) |
| foreign-born (F22) | diversity of the inventor pool (O36) |
| immigration (F22) | diversity of the inventor pool (O36) |
| inventive output (O36) | financial returns (G12) |
| broader economic trends (F69) | entrepreneurial activity among inventors (O31) |