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The 1990s rise in Swedish earnings inequality -- persistent or transitory?

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  • Magnus Gustavsson

Abstract

This article decomposes the rise in the cross-sectional variance of male annual earnings in Sweden between 1991 and 1999 into its persistent and transitory components. The results show that the persistent component accounts for basically all of the increase in earnings dispersion. This implies that the answer to the 1990s trend reversal in Swedish earnings inequality is to be found in explanations that focus on persistent changes in the labour market, such as changes in the price of skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Magnus Gustavsson, 2007. "The 1990s rise in Swedish earnings inequality -- persistent or transitory?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 25-30.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:39:y:2007:i:1:p:25-30
    DOI: 10.1080/00036840500428039
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    Cited by:

    1. Doris, Aedin & O'Neill, Donal & Sweetman, Olive, 2008. "Does Growth Affect the Nature of Inequality? Ireland 1994–2001," IZA Discussion Papers 3701, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Holmberg, Johan, 2021. "Earnings and Labor Market Dynamics: Indirect Inference Based on Swedish Register Data," Umeå Economic Studies 984, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    3. Michal Myck & Richard Ochmann & Salmai Qari, 2008. "Dynamics of Earnings and Hourly Wages in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 139, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Anders Björklund & Richard B. Freeman, 2010. "Searching for Optimal Inequality/Incentives," NBER Chapters, in: Reforming the Welfare State: Recovery and Beyond in Sweden, pages 25-56, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Benjamin Friedrich & Lisa Laun & Costas Meghir, 2022. "Earnings dynamics of immigrants and natives in Sweden 1985–2016," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1803-1847, November.
    6. Gustafsson, Johan & Holmberg, Johan, 2022. "Permanent and transitory earnings dynamics and lifetime income inequality in Sweden," Umeå Economic Studies 1005, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    7. Erixon, Lennart, 2011. "Under the influence of traumatic events, new ideas, economic experts and the ICT revolution - the economic policy and macroeconomic performance of Sweden in the 1990s and 2000s," Research Papers in Economics 2011:25, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    8. Afonso, Óscar, 2016. "Effects of labour-market institutions on employment, wages, R&D intensity and growth in 27 OECD countries: From theory to practice," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 48-62.
    9. Aedín Doris & Donal O’Neill & Olive Sweetman, 2013. "Identification of the covariance structure of earnings using the GMM estimator," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 11(3), pages 343-372, September.
    10. Gustafsson, Johan & Holmberg, Johan, 2019. "Earning dynamics in Sweden: The recent evolution of permanent inequality and earnings volatility," Umeå Economic Studies 963, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    11. David Domeij, 2008. "Rising Earnings Inequality in Sweden: The Role of Composition and Prices," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 110(3), pages 609-634, September.
    12. Myck, Michal & Ochmann, Richard & Qari, Salmai, 2011. "Dynamics in transitory and permanent variation of wages in Germany," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(2), pages 143-146.
    13. Holmberg, Johan, 2021. "Earnings and Employment Dynamics: Capturing Cyclicality using Mixed Frequency Data," Umeå Economic Studies 991, Umeå University, Department of Economics.

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