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Rising Income Inequality: Technology, or Trade and Financial Globalization?

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Author Info

  • Chris Papageorgiou
  • Subir Lall
  • Florence Jaumotte

Abstract

We examine the relationship between trade and financial globalization and the rise in inequality in most countries in recent decades. We find technological progress as having a greater impact than globalization on inequality. The limited overall impact of globalization reflects two offsetting tendencies: whereas trade globalization is associated with a reduction in inequality, financial globalization-and foreign direct investment in particular-is associated with an increase. A key finding is that both globalization and technological changes increase the returns on human capital, underscoring the importance of education and training in both developed and developing countries in addressing rising inequality.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by International Monetary Fund in its series IMF Working Papers with number 08/185.

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Length: 20
Date of creation: 01 Jul 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:08/185

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Related research

Keywords: Income distribution; Foreign direct investment; Human capital; Economic models; Trade models;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Chao-Hsi Huang & Kai-Fang Teng & Pan-Long Tsai, 2010. "Inward and outward foreign direct investment and poverty: East Asia vs. Latin America," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 146(4), pages 763-779, December.
  2. Rana Ejaz Ali Khan & Nadia Bashir, 2011. "Trade Liberalization, Poverty and Inequality Nexus: A Case Study of India," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 1(3), pages 114-119, September.
  3. Beatrice Farkas, 2012. "Absorptive Capacities and the Impact of FDI on Economic Growth," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1202, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
  4. Robert Anderton & Paul Hiebert, . "The Impact of Globalisation on the Euro Area Macroeconomy," Discussion Papers 09/14, University of Nottingham, GEP.
  5. Rafal Kierzenkowski & Isabell Koske, 2012. "Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 8. The Drivers of Labour Income Inequality – A Literature Review," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 931, OECD Publishing.
  6. Areendam Chanda & Beatrice Farkas, 2009. "Technology-Skill Complementarity and International TFP Differences," DEGIT Conference Papers c014_028, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
  7. Nilanjan Banik, 2009. "Trade and Social Development: The case of Asia," Working Papers 6809, Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), an initiative of UNESCAP and IDRC, Canada..
  8. Oscar Afonso, 2012. "Scale-independent North-South trade effects on the technological-knowledge bias and on wage inequality," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 181-207, April.
  9. Caroline DAYMON, 2012. "Ouverture Commerciale, Inégalités De Revenu Et Répartition Salariale Dans Les Pays Du Sud Et De L’Est De La Méditerranée," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 35, pages 81-98.
  10. Parisa SAMIMI & Guan Choo LIM & Abdul Aziz BUANG, 2011. "Globalization Measurement: Notes on Common Globalization Indexes," Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, ScientificPapers.org, vol. 1(7), pages 20, December.

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