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An Empirical Model of Labor Supply in the Underground Economy

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Author Info
Bernard Fortin
Thomas Lemieux
Pierre Frechette

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Abstract

This paper uses micro data from a random survey carried out in the region of Quebec City, Canada, to estimate a model of labor supply in the underground economy. The model assumes that the individual's gross wage rate in the regular sector is parametric while his gross labor earnings in the underground sector are a concave function of hours of work. This distinction between the two sectors is used to generate a simple separation result between preferences and the magnitude of underground labor market activities. This result implies that the individual's labor supply in the underground economy is generally a negative function of his net wage rate in the regular sector. The separation result also implies a set of restrictions on the parameters of the reduced form of the model, which are imposed using minimum distance methods of estimation. Various generalized method of moments specification tests allow us to verify the validity of these restrictions. According to our results, the marginal tax rates embodied in the Quebec tax-transfer system are an important determinant of the decision to participate in the underground sector.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 3392.

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Date of creation: Jun 1990
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3392

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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. Watson, Harry, 1985. "Tax evasion and labor markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 231-246, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Hausman, Jerry A., 1985. "Taxes and labor supply," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 213-263 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. James J. Heckman, 1976. "The Common Structure of Statistical Models of Truncation, Sample Selection and Limited Dependent Variables and a Simple Estimator for Such Models," NBER Chapters, in: Annals of Economic and Social Measurement, Volume 5, number 4, pages 120-137 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
  4. Rosen, Harvey S, 1976. "Taxes in a Labor Supply Model with Joint Wage-Hours Determination," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(3), pages 485-507, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Chamberlain, Gary, 1984. "Panel data," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 22, pages 1247-1318 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. van Eck, Robert & Kazemier, Brugt, 1988. "Features of the Hidden Economy in the Netherlands," Review of Income and Wealth, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(3), pages 251-73, September.
  7. Amemiya, Takeshi, 1979. "The Estimation of a Simultaneous-Equation Tobit Model," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 20(1), pages 169-81, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Chamberlain, Gary, 1982. "Multivariate regression models for panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 5-46, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Usher, Dan, 1986. "Tax Evasion and the Marginal Cost of Public Funds," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 563-86, October.
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  10. Pencavel, John H., 1979. "A note on income tax evasion, labor supply, and nonlinear tax schedules," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 115-124, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Kesselman, Jonathan R., 1989. "Income tax evasion : An intersectoral analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 137-182, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Greenberg, David & Halsey, Harlan, 1983. "Systematic Misreporting and Effects of Income Maintenance Experiments on Work Effort: Evidence from the Seattle-Denver Experiment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(4), pages 380-407, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Cowell, Frank A., 1985. "Tax evasion with labour income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 19-34, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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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. Fortin, Bernard, 2002. "Les enjeux de l'économie souterraine," Cahiers de recherche 0207, CIRPEE. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Sara De La Rica & Thomas Lemieux, 1993. "Does Public Health Insurance Reduce Labor Market Flexibility or Encourage the Underground Economy? Evidence from Spain and the United States," NBER Working Papers 4402, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Lauren M. Rich & Sun-Bin Kim, 2001. "Taxes and Unmarried Fathers' Participation in the Underground Economy," JCPR Working Papers 237, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    Other versions:
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