Task-Heterogeneity in Human Capital Accumulation: Evidence from Brazilian Employer-Employee Data

Advisor: Gustavo Gonzaga

This article studies if there are heterogeneities in the human capital accumulation process while on the job. Using high quality Brazilian employer-employee panel data and task description of four-digit occupations, we propose the concept of task experience in log wage equations. This approach is based on the learning-by-doing mechanism. Our results show that workers more intensive in analytical tasks have higher returns to experience, relatively to more routine workers. We also observe complementarities between tasks that provide higher learning and schooling.