Skill, Autonomy, and Technological Change in Canada

Abstract

In Canada, the General Social Survey of 1989 provides the opportunity to examine the relationship between skill and autonomy for individuals in different industrial sectors, occupations, and demographic groups. It also enables an examination of the extent to which the introduction of new technology is associated with various combinations of skill and autonomy. Overall it is found that the association between skill and autonomy is not very strong; moreover, it varies considerably by sector, occupation, and demographic group. In addition, individuals most likely to report both high skill and high autonomy tend to have been affected by the introduction of new technology in the 1984-1988 period.