Human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring

Human capital and technological progress drive industrial restructuring toward rationalization and advancement, clarifying their theoretical interaction and examining the influence mechanism based on China's three major industries data from 2008 to 2022, employing the PVAR and Hansen threshold models. The study shows that: (1) technological progress and industrial restructuring are mutually causal, while technological progress and human capital, and human capital and industrial restructuring are not mutually causal. (2) Within the research cycle, human capital has a 'fast then slow then smooth' influence on industrial structural adjustment, while technological progress has a 'V' influence on industrial structural adjustment, and technological progress has a 'U' influence on human capital. (3) Human capital and technological progress have played a facilitating role in industrial structural adjustment. Technological progress serves as the threshold, resulting in a double threshold effect of human capital on industrial structure rationalization, a single threshold effect is observed in its advancement. The policy implications are as follows: first, accelerate the mechanism of industrial structure upgrading, and drive the quality improvement and structure optimization of industrial human capital; second, give full play to the iterative role of technological innovation, and build a 'technology-capital' complementary mechanism; third, 'according to the time - according to the place - according to the production', Integration of human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring synergistic development paths.

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Publication Details

Journal
PLoS ONE
Published
2025-06-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325978
Primary Topic
Energy, Environment, Economic Growth
Type
article
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Human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring

L. Zhang, Kui Zhao
PLoS ONE
Energy, Environment, Economic Growth
article

Human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring

L. Zhang, Kui Zhao
article en

Abstract

Human capital and technological progress drive industrial restructuring toward rationalization and advancement, clarifying their theoretical interaction and examining the influence mechanism based on China's three major industries data from 2008 to 2022, employing the PVAR and Hansen threshold models. The study shows that: (1) technological progress and industrial restructuring are mutually causal, while technological progress and human capital, and human capital and industrial restructuring are not mutually causal. (2) Within the research cycle, human capital has a 'fast then slow then smooth' influence on industrial structural adjustment, while technological progress has a 'V' influence on industrial structural adjustment, and technological progress has a 'U' influence on human capital. (3) Human capital and technological progress have played a facilitating role in industrial structural adjustment. Technological progress serves as the threshold, resulting in a double threshold effect of human capital on industrial structure rationalization, a single threshold effect is observed in its advancement. The policy implications are as follows: first, accelerate the mechanism of industrial structure upgrading, and drive the quality improvement and structure optimization of industrial human capital; second, give full play to the iterative role of technological innovation, and build a 'technology-capital' complementary mechanism; third, 'according to the time - according to the place - according to the production', Integration of human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring synergistic development paths.

PLoS ONEVol. 20(6)
Tianjin University of Finance and Economics (CN), Anhui Business College (CN)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Energy, Environment, Economic Growth
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Human capital, technological progress and industrial restructuring — L. Zhang, Kui Zhao · PLoS ONE (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS