ABSTRACT

Worker persistence—the ability to focus on a task for long periods of time—is often highlighted as essential to success. However, computers are extraordinarily persistent, particularly for routine, repetitive work. This potentially reduces the value of human persistence in occupations that are computerized. Using a well-defined measure of worker persistence across a nationally-representative 16-year sample of 4,239 individuals, we investigate the extent to which occupations value worker persistence in the presence of computers. We find that the labor market does indeed value persistence. Nonetheless, we find that in routine jobs, the wage premium of human persistence diminishes with the degree of workplace computerization. Yet, this substitution does not occur in non-routine jobs. These findings deepen our understanding of the effect of workplace computerization on the future of work and workers, and they also warrant imlications on government job training programs, organizational talent management, as well as the redesign of the K-12 curriculum.

摘要

员工的坚持——长期专注于一项任务的能力——通常被强调为成功的关键。然而，计算机非常持久，特别是对于日常的重复性工作。这可能会降低人类坚持计算机化职业的价值。我们对具有全国代表性的 16 年 4,239 人样本使用明确定义的工人持久性测量方法，调查在计算机存在的情况下，职业对工人持久性的重视程度。我们发现劳动力市场确实重视持久性。尽管如此，我们发现在日常工作中，人类坚持不懈的工资溢价随着工作场所计算机化程度的增加而减少。然而，这种替代不会发生在非常规工作中。