1 Information Technologies and Productivity: Microeconometric Evidence for France

This study examines the effect of Information Technologies (IT) on firms productivity. A new methodology is implemented in order to address this issue. Up to now studies have assumed that inputs efficiencies are affected homogeneously although the skill biased technical change hypothesis has received a lot of empirical support. On the contrary our methodology lets inputs efficiencies be affected differently by IT. Using a very simple model leads us to add to the usual regression (the one relating the Solow residual to IT) the cost shares of inputs interacted with IT. Our results show that the effect of IT adoption on firms productivity mainly comes from its impact on labor efficiency. Moreover all categories of workers are not effected in the same way. Internet use increases strongly the efficiency of skilled and female workers, and the adoption of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) enhances the efficiency of young workers. On the contrary the effect of IT adoption on firms productivity doesn’t depend on firms organization.