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Do Wages Really Compensate for Risk Aversion and Skewness Affection?

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Author Info
Hartog, Joop () (University of Amsterdam and IZA, Bonn)
Vijverberg, Wim P. M. (University of Texas at Dallas and IZA, Bonn)
Abstract

Utility theory suggests that foreseeable risk should increase the compensation for work. This paper expands on this notion: on basis of utility theory, people should care not only about risk but also about the skewness in the distribution of the compensation paid. In particular, because the degree of risk aversion ought to decrease with income, people should appreciate a small chance of a substantial gain; they should exhibit an "affection" for skewness. To test these hypotheses, this paper carefully develops various measures of risk and skewness by occupational/educational classification of the worker and finds supportive evidence: wages rise with occupational earnings variance and decrease with skewness. In order to identify the discount rate and the degree of risk aversion, we also apply structural modelling of education and occupational choice and allow for non-lognormal wage distributions.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 426.

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Length: 40 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2002
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp426

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Related research
Keywords: Wage variability wage risk compensation

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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  1. Luis Diaz-Serrano & J. Hartog, 2004. "Is there a Risk-Return Trade-off across Occupations? Evidence from Spain," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1441004, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
  2. Brodaty, Thomas & Gary-Bobo, Robert J. & Prieto, Ana, 2006. "Risk Aversion and Human Capital Investment: A Structural Econometric Model," CEPR Discussion Papers 5694, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Cunha, Flavio & Heckman, James & Navarro, Salvador, 2004. "Separating uncertainty from heterogeneity in life cycle earnings," Working Paper Series 2005:6, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Charlotte Christiansen & Juanna Schröter Joensen & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2006. "The Risk-Return Trade-Off in Human Capital Investment," IZA Discussion Papers 1962, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Budria, Santiago, 2006. "Schooling and the distribution of wages in the european private and public sectors," MPRA Paper 90, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Hartog, Joop & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2003. "Compensating Wage Differentials for Schooling Risk in Denmark," IZA Discussion Papers 963, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Diaz-Serrano, Luis & Hartog, Joop, 2004. "Is There a Risk-Return Trade-Off across Occupations? Evidence from Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 1355, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  8. Christiansen, Charlotte & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2003. "The Educational Asset Market: A Finance Perspective on Human Capital Investment," Finance Working Papers 02-9, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Business Studies. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Diaz-Serrano, Luis, 2004. "Labour Income Uncertainty, Risk Aversion and Home Ownership," IZA Discussion Papers 1008, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  10. Luis Diaz-Serrano, 2005. "Income Volatility and Residential Mortgage Delinquency: Evidence from 12 EU countries," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1530205, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
  11. Nevine Mokhtar Eid, 2008. "The Capital Asset Pricing Model: An Application on the Efficiency of Financing Higher Public Education in Egypt," Working Papers 8, The German University in Cairo, Faculty of Management Technology. [Downloadable!]
  12. Luis Diaz-Serrano, 2003. "Earnings Uncertainty, Risk-Aversion and Homeownership," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1350204, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
  13. Luis Díaz-Serrano & Joop Hartog, 2006. "Is there a risk-return trade-off in educational choices? Evidence from Spain," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 30(2), pages 353-380, May. [Downloadable!]
  14. Forslund, Anders & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2006. "Swedish youth labour market policies revisited," Working Paper Series 2006:6, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. Diaz-Serrano, Luis, 2004. "Income Volatility and Residential Mortgage Delinquency: Evidence from 12 EU Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 1396, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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