Event summary

Abstract:
We present a series of stylized facts regarding US inventors since the 1970s. Empirically, we examine how inventors’ productivity changes, both within a job and as they change employers throughout their careers. We then develop a theory of inventor careers, largely based on a ladder model of on-the-job search with generic and specific human capital. Finally, we derive policy implications regarding restrictions to inventor mobility.

by Ajay Bhaskarabhatla, Luís Cabral, and Deepak Hegde