Wage inequality and directed technological change: Implications for income distribution

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano Antonelli ◽  
Giuseppe Scellato
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Technological Change ◽  
Wage Inequality ◽  
Directed Technological Change

scholarly journals DIRECTED TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE: A KNOWLEDGE-BASED MODEL

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tailong Li ◽  
Shiyuan Pan ◽  
Heng-fu Zou
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Wage Inequality ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Biased Technological Change ◽  
Unskilled Workers ◽  
Directed Technological Change

In a knowledge-based growth model where skilled workers are used in innovation and production, skill-biased technological change may lower average R&D productivity via an innovation possibilities frontier effect that eliminates scale effects. We show that skill-biased technological change increases the skill premium even if the elasticity of substitution between skilled and unskilled workers is less than two. Trade between developed countries promotes skill-biased technological change, thus raising wage inequality. Trade between developed and developing countries has differing effects: it induces relatively skill-replacing technological change and lowers wage inequality in the developed country but has the opposite effects in the developing country. Finally, we show that trade can stimulate or hurt economic growth.

scholarly journals The impact of a minimum wage change on the distribution of wages and household income

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Redmond ◽  
Karina Doorley ◽  
Seamus McGuinness
Keyword(s):  
Income Distribution ◽  
Minimum Wage ◽  
Wage Inequality ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Wage Distribution ◽  
Wage Increase ◽  
Minimum Wage Increase ◽  
Wage Change ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We use distribution regression analysis to study the impact of a 6% increase in the Irish minimum wage on the distribution of hourly wages and household income. Wage inequality, measured by the ratio of wages in the 90th and 10th percentiles and the 75th and 25th percentiles, decreased by approximately 8 and 4%, respectively. The results point towards wage spillover effects up to the 30th percentile of the wage distribution. We show that minimum wage workers are spread throughout the household income distribution and are often located in high-income households. Therefore, while we observe strong effects on the wage distribution, the impact of a minimum wage increase on the household income distribution is quite limited.

Structural Change, Economic Development, and the Labour Market

2021 ◽  
pp. 577-595
Author(s):  
Önder Nomaler ◽  
Bart Verspagen ◽  
Adriaan van Zon
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Structural Change ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Technological Change ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Skill Premium ◽  
Skilled Labour ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Specific Country

This chapter addresses the relationship between structural change and the income distribution. It raises the question of whether structural change increases or decreases income inequality. The chapter presents a multi-sectoral model in the so-called canonical modelling tradition. In this model the distributional outcomes depend on the mix of the labour supply in different technology classes and skill biases in technological change. Whether structural change has an effect depends on the specific country. When it does have an effect, it mainly benefits high-skilled labour. The skill premium for high-skilled labour thus contributes to increased income inequality. Both the relative supply of skills and skill-based technological change tend to increase income inequality, though not in all countries.

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