Global science expansion and the ‘skills premium’ in labor markets have been extensively discussed in the literature on the global knowledge economy, yet the focus on, broadly-speaking, knowledge-related personnel as a key factor is surprisingly absent. This article draws on UIS and OECD data on research and development (R&D) personnel for the period 1980 to 2015 for up to N = 82 countries to gauge cross-national trends and to test a wide range of educational, economic, political and institutional determinants of general expansion as well as expansion by specific sectors (i.e. higher education vs corporate R&D) and country groups (OECD vs non-OECD). Findings show that, worldwide, the number of personnel involved in the creation of novel and original knowledge has risen dramatically in the past three decades, across sectors, with only a few countries reporting decrease. Educational (public governance, tertiary enrolment and professionalization) and economic predictors (R&D expenditures and gross national income) show strong effects. Expansion is also strongest in those countries embedded in global institutional networks, yet regardless of a democratic polity. I discuss the emergence of ‘knowledge work’ as a mass-scale and worldwide phenomenon and map out consequences for the analysis of such a profound transformation, which involves both an educated workforce and the strong role of the state.

全球科学扩张和劳动力市场的“技能溢价”在全球知识经济的文献中得到了广泛的讨论，然而，从广义上讲，知识相关人员作为关键因素的关注却出人意料地缺失。本文利用 1980 年至 2015 年期间多达 N = 82 个国家的研究和开发 (R&D) 人员的统计研究所和经合组织数据来衡量跨国趋势并测试广泛的教育、经济、政治和制度决定因素总体扩张以及特定部门（即高等教育与企业研发）和国家集团（经合组织与非经合组织）的扩张。调查结果表明，在全球范围内，参与创造新颖和原创知识的人员数量在过去 30 年中急剧增加，跨部门、只有少数几个国家报告减​​少。教育（公共治理、高等教育入学率和专业化）和经济预测指标（研发支出和国民总收入）显示出强大的影响。在那些嵌入全球机构网络的国家中，扩张也最为强劲，但与民主政体无关。我讨论了“知识工作”作为一种大规模和全球现象的出现，并为分析这种深刻的转变制定了结果，这种转变既涉及受过教育的劳动力，也涉及国家的强大作用。在那些嵌入全球机构网络的国家中，扩张也最为强劲，但与民主政体无关。我讨论了“知识工作”作为一种大规模和全球现象的出现，并为分析这种深刻的转变制定了结果，这种转变既涉及受过教育的劳动力，也涉及国家的强大作用。在那些嵌入全球机构网络的国家中，扩张也最为强劲，但与民主政体无关。我讨论了“知识工作”作为一种大规模和全球现象的出现，并为分析这种深刻的转变制定了结果，这种转变既涉及受过教育的劳动力，也涉及国家的强大作用。