| Abstract: | Trade data from 1977 and 1985 suggest that, on average, service industries with the greatest trade-related employment gains tend to be more skill-intensive and that such industries employ relatively more women and minorities than do service industries experiencing the least trade-related employment gains. Three important qualifiers temper these findings: (i) Compared to whites, minorities—particularly blacks—have lower probability of increased employment in trade-enhanced service industries. (ii) Unlike whites or Hispanics, skilled black workers are more likely to be employed in service industries experiencing the least trade-related employment gains. (iii) On an industry by industry basis, no consistent relationship appears to exist between skill intensity and level of trade-related employment. The latter finding supports the view that service industry comparative advantage is industry-specific . |
