Language:
English
Pages:
1 Online-Ressource (29 p.)
,
21 x 28cm.
Titel der Quelle:
OECD Journal: Economic Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
Vol. 2013, no. 1, p. 179-207
Angaben zur Quelle:
volume:2013
Angaben zur Quelle:
year:2013
Angaben zur Quelle:
number:1
Angaben zur Quelle:
pages:179-207
Keywords:
Economics
Abstract:
This article assesses various underlying driving factors for the evolution of household earnings inequality for 23 OECD countries from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s. There are a number of factors at play. Some are related to labour market trends – increasing dispersion of individual wages and changes in men’s and women’s employment rates. Others relate to shifts in household structures and family formation – more single-headed households and increased earnings correlation among partners in couples. The contribution of each of these factors is estimated using a semi parametric decomposition technique. The results reveal that marital sorting and household structure changes contributed, albeit moderately, to increasing household earnings inequality, while rising women’s employment exerted a sizable equalising effect. However, changes in labour market factors, in particular increases in men’s earnings disparities, were identified as the main driver of household earnings inequality, contributing between one-third and one-half to the overall increase in most countries. Sensitivity analysis applying a reversedorder decomposition suggests that these results are robust.
DOI:
10.1787/eco_studies-2013-5k43jt5vcdvl
Permalink