Changes in workplace tasks in Germany—evaluating skill and task measures

Abstract

The task approach is attracting increasing attention and recognition among scholars in economics, sociology and related fields. However, measurement still presents an important challenge to the task approach. This paper studies the comparability of task measures in the commonly used German BIBB/IAB-BIBB/BAuA employment crosssections on qualification and working conditions from 1979, 1985/86, 1991/92, 1998/99, and 2006. We hypothesize that findings on task-biased technological change are sensitive to variable choice. The task data differ substantially from other task data, and task items are not readily comparable between survey years. As a result, classifying single task items into distinct domains leads to a number of problems. To test our hypothesis, we use different strategies for classifying tasks into task domains, and analyze whether different operationalizations lead to different conclusions about task change in Germany. Our results show that this indeed is the case. Our paper provides readers with a broader understanding of German task data and gives recommendations for applying the task approach to German employment data. Wandel der Tätigkeiten am Arbeitsplatz in Deutschland -Analysen von Skill und Task-MaßenZusammenfassung Der Task-Ansatz findet zunehmende Beachtung unter Ökonomen, Soziologen und verwandten Disziplinen. Allerdings stellen Operationalisierung und Messung eine besondere Herausforderung des Ansatzes dar.

Liberalization Only at the Margins? Analysing the Growth of Temporary Work in German Core Manufacturing Sectors

“…The significance level and the coefficients of skill specificity and job routine do not change. Second, the regression has been run without Eastern Germany, as the exclusion of Eastern Germany from the sample was recommended by BiBB researchers (Rohrbach‐Schmidt and Tiemann ) but the model does not show any relevant change.…”

Against the Grain? Assessing Graduate Labour Market Trends in Germany Through a Task-Based Indicator of Graduate Jobs

“…Though the overall purpose of the series remained the same since its inception in 1979, the survey waves have inconsistencies throughout particularly before 2005/06. The data collection mode has changed from face-to-face to telephone with the wave 2005/06 and the questionnaire has seen revisions as well (Rohrbach-Schmidt and Tiemann 2013). Nonetheless, the large number of observation in conjunction with detailed job-level information, make the surveys well suited to derive occupation-specific competence profiles (Rohrbach-Schmidt and Hall 2013).…”

Using the job requirements approach and matched employer-employee data to investigate the content of individuals’ human capital

“…A second line of research, not yet as prolific as the one we just described, can be labeled under the rubric of "task based analysis" (Handel 2008;Rohrbach-Schmidt and Tiemann 2013). In most cases the data is collected using the "job requirements approach", essentially an adaptation of occupational psychologists' methods in the context of a socioeconomic survey (Green 2012).…”

“…There is, however, a recognized problem of task classification into different skill domains (Autor et al 2003;Green 2012). Rohrbach-Schmidt and Tiemann (2013) show for the case of Germany that different strategies for classifying tasks into tasks domainslead to different conclusions about task change. An additional issue relates to how best develop generic skills.…”