Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

2020

College/Unit

Chambers College of Business and Economics

Document Number

20-10

Department/Program/Center

Economics

Abstract

Using 1975-1992 patent data this article untangles two opposing effects of knowledge spillovers: increasing productivity of invention (encouraging higher-quality patents) and increasing trade secret leakage to competitors (encouraging lower-quality patents). Using geographic labor mobility to predict the former and industry labor mobility in the latter, we find that doubling the rate of industry level labor mobility of scientists and engineers decreases patent quality. Results from doubling the rate of regional level mobility are mixed, but suggest an increase in patent quality.

Included in

Economics Commons

Share

COinS