scholarly journals The Distributional Consequences of Large Devaluations

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (11) ◽  
pp. 3477-3509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Cravino ◽  
Andrei A. Levchenko

We study the impact of large exchange rate devaluations on the cost of living at different points on the income distribution. Poor households spend relatively more on tradeable product categories and consume lower-priced varieties within categories. Changes in the relative price of tradeables and of lower-priced varieties affect the cost of living of low-income relative to high-income households. We quantify these effects following the 1994 Mexican devaluation and show that they can have large distributional consequences. Two years post-devaluation, the cost of living for the bottom income decile rose 1.48 to 1.62 times more than for the top income decile. (JEL D12, D31, E31, F31, O12, O19, O24)

Econometrica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 2679-2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Handbury

This paper shows that the products and prices offered in markets are correlated with local income‐specific tastes. To quantify the welfare impact of this variation, I calculate local price indexes micro‐founded by a model of non‐homothetic demand over thousands of grocery products. These indexes reveal large differences in how wealthy and poor households perceive the choice sets available in wealthy and poor cities. Relative to low‐income households, high‐income households enjoy 40 percent higher utility per dollar expenditure in wealthy cities, relative to poor cities. Similar patterns are observed across stores in different neighborhoods. Most of this variation is explained by differences in the product assortment offered, rather than the relative prices charged, by chains that operate in different markets.


2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395
Author(s):  
Richard Cebula ◽  
James E. Payne ◽  
Donnie Horner ◽  
Robert Boylan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of labor market freedom on state-level cost of living differentials in the USA using cross-sectional data for 2016 after allowing for the impacts of economic and quality of life factors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses two-stage least squares estimation controlling for factors contributing to cost of living differences across states. Findings The results reveal that an increase in labor market freedom reduces the overall cost of living. Research limitations/implications The study can be extended using panel data and alternative measures of labor market freedom. Practical implications In general, the finding that less intrusive government and greater labor freedom are associated with a reduced cost of living should not be surprising. This is because less government intrusion and greater labor freedom both inherently allow markets to be more efficient in the rationalization of and interplay with forces of supply and demand. Social implications The findings of this and future related studies could prove very useful to policy makers and entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners and public corporations of all sizes – particularly those considering either location in, relocation to, or expansion into other markets within the USA. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the National Right-to-Work Law currently under consideration in Congress could add cost of living reductions to the debate. Originality/value The authors extend the literature on cost of living differentials by investigating whether higher amounts of state-level labor market freedom act to reduce the states’ cost of living using the most recent annual data available (2016). That labor freedom has a systemic efficiency impact on the state-level cost of living is a significant finding. In our opinion, it is likely that labor market freedom is increasing the efficiency of labor market transactions in the production and distribution of goods and services, and acts to reduce the cost of living in states. In addition, unlike previous related studies, the authors investigate the impact of not only overall labor market freedom on the state-level cost of living, but also how the three sub-indices of labor market freedom, as identified and measured by Stansel et al. (2014, 2015), impact the cost of living state by state.


1979 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip R. P. Coelho ◽  
James F. Shepherd

Differences in regional prices and wages are examined for the United States in 1890, together with the relationship between the cost of living and city size, and the determinants of regional industrial growth. Results indicate that regional cost-of-liying differences were sufficiently large so that money wages cannot be used for purposes of comparing the economic well-being of wage earners across regions. Except for the South, money wages and the cost of living were positively correlated. The relative differences in money wages, however, were greater; consequently real wages in high wage-price areas were generally higher.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Vasileiou

This note shows that the effective response of a country in its battle against COVID-19 influences the exchange rate of its currency. Particularly, we examine the GBPUSD, AUDUSD and AUDGBP pairs of currency during the COVID-19 outbreak and the results show that the domestic currency of the country which documents more COVID-19 cases in each pair is depreciated against the foreign one. Therefore, a country which cannot effectively mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and whose currency is depreciated may present further economic consequences in the future. Such consequences extend beyond economic recession and may include sovereign and interest rate risk. These findings may be useful for policy makers in order to estimate the cost of the pandemic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2A) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Muhammad R. Ipango ◽  
Eyverson ., Ruauw ◽  
Nootje M. Benu

This study aims to determine the impact of changes in increasing fuel price on Farmers Exchange Rate (NTP) in North Sulawesi Province. This study uses secondary data, mainly from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) of North Sulawesi. Data collection was conducted for four months, from December 2016 until April 2017. The data used in this research is data from 2013 until 2016. The research method used in this research is descriptive research. The results showed that with the increase of Fuel Oil price is one of the factors that influence the Farmer's Farmer's Exchange Rate (NTP) as a whole by increasing the cost of household consumption, agricultural production cost, transportation cost, and transportation cost


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Osborne

This paper estimates a cost-of-living index using a dynamic structural model for two storable product categories. In each category, regime shifts to higher or lower retail prices are observed. Fixed-base indexes do a poor job of capturing changes in welfare after a regime shift, and deviate from the dynamic index by as much as 300 percent. I evaluate the extent to which two recently proposed indexes can approximate the model-derived index. These indexes improve welfare measurement and are straightforward to compute. The category’s competitive structure and features of the regime shift determine which of the two provides a better approximation. (JEL C43, C51, E31, L11)


Author(s):  
Ilia Kuchin ◽  
Mariia Elkina ◽  
Yury Dranev

This study is dedicated to estimating the impact of currency risk on the cost of equity in Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. Our contribution to the literature is that we obtain further evidence on pricing of exchange rate risk in developing countries which for now is quite scarce. These motivates our research which is dedicated to BRICS capital markets with Chinese stock market excluded since it is heavily regulated. The aim of the research is to determine whether in emerging countries stock markets currency risk is a significant factor that influence cost of equity capital of a company. Changes in the value of exchange rate can impact cash flows of a firm and their riskiness, hence, the value of the company. In our research we will discuss the influence of exchange rate movements on the value of the firm through their impact on the cost of equity. Specifically, we investigate whether companies that report substantial currency gains or losses have to pay a higher required return on equity. Furthermore, in this study we take an attempt to estimate currency risk premia for exposure to appreciation and depreciation of currency separately and identify possible differences. For each country three models that extend Fama-French Three Factor Model by incorporating currency risk are estimated. We used equal-weighted portfolio approach to construction currency risk factors. They are estimated using information about the ratio of currency gains to sales or the magnitude of covariation between equity returns and exchange rate changes. In the second case appreciation and depreciation of domestic currency against US dollar is considered separately. Results indicate that in Russia firms which report substantial currency losses pay a positive risk premium, while in Brazil, India and South Africa companies with significantly positive or negative currency gains pay a lower required return on equity than firms with almost zero currency gains. Finally, we are trying to explain estimation results using sectoral breakdown of product exports in each country of data sample.


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