This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Are Underground Workers More Likely To Be Underground Consumers?

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Bernard Fortin ()
Guy Lacroix ()
Claude Montmarquette ()

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of working in the underground sector on the level of individual underground expenditures. We show that it can be decomposed into a network effect, a non-separability effect and an income effect. Our empirical analysis uses micro data from a randomized survey conducted in the province of Québec for 1993. GMM methods allow us to take into account censoring and measurement error on the dependent variable as well as the possible endogeneity of the conditioning labor supply variables. We find that an increase in the underground labor supply has a strong positive effect on the level of underground expenditures. This relationship amplifies the impact of tax policy and of the enforcement system on the size of the underground economy.

Cet article étudie les effets du travail au noir sur le niveau des achats au noir des individus. On montre qu'il peut se décomposer en un effet de réseau, un effet de non-séparabilité et un effet revenu. Notre analyse empirique utilise des micro-données tirées d'une enquête réalisée au Québec pour l'année 1993. La méthode des moments généralisés nous permet de tenir compte de la censure et des erreurs de mesure sur la variable dépendante ainsi que de l'endogénéité des variables d'offre de travail qui conditionnent les décisions de consommation. Selon nos résultats, une hausse de l'offre de travail au noir accroît de façon importante le niveau des dépenses au noir. Cet effet amplifie l'impact des politiques de taxation et de contrôle fiscal sur la taille de l'économie souterraine.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.cirano.qc.ca/pdf/publication/97s-28.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by CIRANO in its series CIRANO Working Papers with number 97s-28.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 01 Jun 1997
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cir:cirwor:97s-28

Contact details of provider:
Postal: 2020 rue University, 25e �tage, Montr�al, Qu�c, H3A 2A5
Phone: (514) 985-4000
Fax: (514) 985-4039
Email:
Web page: http://www.cirano.qc.ca/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Webmaster).

Related research
Keywords: Underground consumption; underground work; separability; policy impacts; GMM estimations; Consommation au noir; travail au noir; séparabilité; impact des politiques; estimations par la méthode des moments généralisés;

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Browning, M J, 1983. "Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Conditional Cost Functions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 51(3), pages 851-56, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Fortin, Bernard & Marceau, Nicolas & Savard, Luc, 1997. "Taxation, wage controls and the informal sector," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 293-312, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Usher, Dan, 1986. "Tax Evasion and the Marginal Cost of Public Funds," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 563-86, October.
    Other versions:
  4. Lemieux, Thomas & Fortin, Bernard & Frechette, Pierre, 1994. "The Effect of Taxes on Labor Supply in the Underground Economy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(1), pages 231-54, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Cowell, F A, 1990. "Tax Sheltering and the Cost of Evasion," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(1), pages 231-43, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Pollak, Robert A, 1969. "Conditional Demand Functions and Consumption Theory," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 83(1), pages 60-78, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Wales, T. J. & Woodland, A. D., 1983. "Estimation of consumer demand systems with binding non-negativity constraints," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 263-285, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Kesselman, Jonathan R., 1989. "Income tax evasion : An intersectoral analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 137-182, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Newey, Whitney K & West, Kenneth D, 1987. "Hypothesis Testing with Efficient Method of Moments Estimation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 28(3), pages 777-87, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Andersen, Per, 1977. " Tax Evasion and Labor Supply," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 79(3), pages 375-83.
  11. MacKinnon, James G. & White, Halbert, 1985. "Some heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimators with improved finite sample properties," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 305-325, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  12. Stapleton, David C & Young, Douglas J, 1984. "Censored Normal Regression with Measurement Error on the Dependent Variable," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(3), pages 737-60, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Cogan, John F, 1981. "Fixed Costs and Labor Supply," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(4), pages 945-63, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-38, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Browning, Martin & Meghir, Costas, 1991. "The Effects of Male and Female Labor Supply on Commodity Demands," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(4), pages 925-51, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Cowell, Frank A., 1985. "Tax evasion with labour income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 19-34, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Lacroix, G. & Fortin, B., 1991. "Utility-Based Estimation of Labor Supply Functions in the Regular and Irregular Sectors," Cahiers de recherche 9020, Université Laval - Département d'économique.
    Other versions:
  18. Neary, J. P. & Roberts, K. W. S., 1980. "The theory of household behaviour under rationing," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 25-42, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Brück, Tilman & Haisken-DeNew, John P & Zimmermann, Klaus F, 2004. "Creating Low-Skilled Jobs by Subsidising Market-Contracted Household Work," CEPR Discussion Papers 4225, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Bruno Chiarini & Elisabetta Marzano, 2006. "Market Consumption and Hidden Consumption: A Test for Substitutability," Discussion Papers 12_2006, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Piolatto, Amedeo, 2008. "Tax evasion and deductible expenses," MPRA Paper 10136, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jul 2008. [Downloadable!]
  4. Benoit Dostie & Désiré Vencatachellum, 2004. "Compulsory and Voluntary Remittances: Evidence from Child Domestic Workers in Tunisia," Cahiers de recherche 04-04, HEC Montréal, Institut d'économie appliquée. [Downloadable!]
  5. Jan Hanousek & Filip Palda, 2002. "The Evolution of Tax Evasion in the Czech Republic: A Markov Chain Analysis," Public Economics 0205002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? RePEc and its associated services are free for contributors and users, and do not accept any advertising.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-20.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.