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Earnings Inequality and Dynamics in the Presence of Informality: The Case of Brazil

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  • Moser, Christian
  • Engbom, Niklas
  • Gonzaga, Gustavo
  • Olivieri, Roberta

Abstract

Using rich administrative and household survey data spanning 34 years from 1985 to 2018, we document a series of new facts on earnings inequality and dynamics in a developing country with a large informal sector: Brazil. Since the mid-1990s, both inequality and volatility of earnings have declined significantly in Brazil’s formal sector. Higher-order moments of the distribution of earnings changes show cyclical movements in Brazil that are similar to those in developed countries like the US. Relative to the formal sector, the informal sector is associated with a significant earnings penalty and higher earnings volatility for identical workers. Earnings changes of workers who switch from formal to informal (from informal to formal) employment are relatively negative (positive) and large in magnitude, dispersed, negatively (positively) skewed, and less leptokurtic. Our results suggest that informal employment is an imperfect insurance mechanism.

Suggested Citation

  • Moser, Christian & Engbom, Niklas & Gonzaga, Gustavo & Olivieri, Roberta, 2022. "Earnings Inequality and Dynamics in the Presence of Informality: The Case of Brazil," CEPR Discussion Papers 16117, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16117
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    Cited by:

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    3. Leo Feler & Arthur Mendes & Wataru Miyamoto & Thuy Lan Nguyen & Steven Pennings, 2023. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Cash Transfers: Evidence from Brazil," Working Paper Series 2024-02, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    4. Manuel Fernández & Gabriela Serrano, 2022. "New Perspectives on Inequality in Latin America," Documentos CEDE 20295, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    5. Elin Halvorsen & Serdar Ozkan & Sergio Salgado, 2021. "Earnings Dynamics and Its Intergenerational Transmission: Evidence from Norway," Working Papers 2021-015, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 07 Jul 2022.
    6. Morchio, Iacopo & Moser, Christian, 2018. "The Gender Pay Gap: Micro Sources and Macro Consequences," MPRA Paper 99276, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Mar 2020.
    7. Puggioni Daniela & Calderón Mariana & Cebreros Alfonso & Fernández León & Inguanzo José A. & Jaume David, 2022. "Inequality, Income Dynamics, and Transitions of Mexican Workers," Working Papers 2022-14, Banco de México.
    8. Søren Leth‐Petersen & Johan Sæverud, 2022. "Inequality and dynamics of earnings and disposable income in Denmark 1987–2016," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1493-1526, November.
    9. Fatih Guvenen & Luigi Pistaferri & Giovanni L. Violante, 2022. "Global trends in income inequality and income dynamics: New insights from GRID," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1321-1360, November.
    10. Elin Halvorsen & Serdar Ozkan & Sergio Salgado, 2022. "Earnings dynamics and its intergenerational transmission: Evidence from Norway," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1707-1746, November.
    11. Daniela Puggioni & Mariana Calderón & Alfonso Cebreros Zurita & León Fernández Bujanda & José Antonio Inguanzo González & David Jaume, 2022. "Inequality, income dynamics, and worker transitions: The case of Mexico," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1669-1705, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings inequality; Earnings dynamics; Higher-order moments; Informality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy

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