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Lifetime Earnings and Inequality

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  • JOHN CREEDY

Abstract

It is argued that for many purposes the measurement of inequality should be based on income measured over a longer period than a single year. However, samples of individual earnings over a long period are extremely rare, and there are no data on complete lifetime earnings. This survey examines the wide variety of attempts that have been made to estimate inequality using a longer accounting period Emphasis is placed on the problems of extending the accounting period, rather than the properties of particular statistical measures of inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • John Creedy, 1991. "Lifetime Earnings and Inequality," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 67(1), pages 46-58, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:67:y:1991:i:1:p:46-58
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.1990.tb02527.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Barra Roantree & Jonathan Shaw, 2018. "What a difference a day makes: inequality and the tax and benefit system from a long-run perspective," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 16(1), pages 23-40, March.
    2. Mike Brewer & Monica Costa Dias & Jonathan Shaw, 2012. "Lifetime inequality and redistribution," IFS Working Papers W12/23, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. Charlotte Bartels, 2012. "Redistribution and Insurance in the German Welfare State," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 132(2), pages 265-295.
    4. Dekkers, Gijs J.M. & Nelissen, Jan H.M. & Becker, Henk A., 2002. "Intergenerational redistribution of income through capital funding pension schemes: simulating the Dutch pension fund ABP," MPRA Paper 36137, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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