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The drivers of income mobility in Europe

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  • Aristei, David
  • Perugini, Cristiano

Abstract

In this paper we study short-term income mobility in European countries over the years preceding the outburst of the global crisis. Income mobility plays a crucial role in shaping distributive patterns and is closely related to the capacity of a socio-economic system to provide equality of opportunities and the removal of social impediments. In this study we exploit the longitudinal structure of the EU-SILC database to provide a comprehensive overview of intragenerational mobility from 2004 to 2006 across 25 European countries, classified into six capitalistic models. After having descriptively analysed heterogeneity in income dynamics by means of alternative measures, we identify the microeconomic drivers of household income mobility, focusing on the role of demographic, economic and job characteristics. The outcomes reveal that the levels and determinants of short-term mobility differ remarkably in the various institutional models across Europe, particularly regarding household composition, demographic attributes, education levels and job positions.

Suggested Citation

  • Aristei, David & Perugini, Cristiano, 2015. "The drivers of income mobility in Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 197-224.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecosys:v:39:y:2015:i:2:p:197-224
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecosys.2014.06.007
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income mobility; Household structure; Institutional settings; EU-SILC data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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