Abstract

Technology and globalisation drive the shift away from manual and routine cognitive work, and towards non-routine cognitive work. Studies on the task content of work usually use the US database O*NET, and it is still unknown how the task content of occupations differs between countries. We create measures of non-routine cognitive analytical and personal, routine cognitive and manual task contents that are consistent with Acemoglu & Autor (2011) measures based on O*NET, but are worker-specific. We apply them to 42 countries at various development level that are covered by PIAAC, STEP and CULS surveys. We find that the routine intensity of tasks is lower in more developed countries, also within particular occupations. Differences in computer use at work, in the supply of skills, and in the participation in offshoring explain most of the international differences of routine intensity of tasks.