Occupational change, computer use and the complementarity effect in the digital age: Evidence from Finland

Abstract

This article examines the pattern of occupational change in Finland between 2013 and 2018 in light of hypotheses derived from skill- and routine-biased technological change arguments. As extensions to mainstream studies on occupational change, two alternative means of classifying occupations by skill level are used, and data from Statistics Finland’s Quality of Work Survey are combined with data from the Finnish Labour Force Survey. The analysis reveals a pattern of skill-biased change and indications of a digital divide between high-skilled and other occupations with no signs of job polarization. Reasons for country-wide differences in occupational change patterns and the implications of differences in the means of classifying occupations for the results are discussed with suggestions of topics for further studies.