Technological change and its impact on skilled jobs: The case of Mexico¹

Technological change has always had a strong influence on the economy. In the case of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), their incessant penetration has transformed traditional working places, such as the office. Although many white collar activities have survived given the enduring reliance on qualified staff with abundant skills and experience, they now seem at risk due the progressive automation of clerical work. These trends are not exclusive of industrialized nations, though. Then, we pose the following question: to what extent is technological change affecting skilled jobs in developing nations too, and more specifically in Mexico? In attempting to answer this question, we examine the impact of ICTs on six skilled jobs in Mexico City: data entry keyers, photographers, computer systems analysts, messengers, stenographers and lathe operators. We found that traditional occupations have indeed disappeared, whereas specialized manufacturing jobs, such as lathe operators, seem to be still required by the market, although in a lesser extent. We conclude that jobs are no longer defined by traditional skills but by multitasks abilities, especially in ICTs.¹