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Earnings Dynamics and Inequality among Canadian Men, 1976-1992: Evidence from Longitudinal Income Tax Records

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Author Info
Michael Baker
Gary Solon

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Abstract

Several recent studies have found that earnings inequality in Canada has grown considerably since the late 1970's. Using an extraordinary data base drawn from longitudinal income tax records, we decompose this growth in earnings inequality into its persistent and transitory components. We find that the growth in earnings inequality reflects both an increase in long-run inequality and an increase in earnings instability. The large size of our earnings panel allows us to estimate and test richer models of earnings dynamics than could be supported by the relatively small panel surveys used in U.S. research. The Canadian data strongly reject several restrictions commonly imposed in the U.S. literature, and they also suggest that imposing these evidently false restrictions may lead to distorted inferences about earnings dynamics and inequality trends.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 7370.

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Date of creation: Sep 1999
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7370

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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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. Ravi Kanbur & Stuart Sayer & Andy Snell, 2007. "Inequality Measures as Tests of Fairness in an Economy," ESE Discussion Papers 174, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh. [Downloadable!]
  2. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "A Review of Decomposition of Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 1221, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Aedin Doris & Donal O’Neill & Olive Sweetman, 2008. "Does Growth Affect the Nature of Inequality? Ireland 1994-2001," Economics, Finance and Accounting Department Working Paper Series n1930708.pdf, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting, National University of Ireland - Maynooth. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Ivan Vidangos, 2009. "Fluctuations in individual labor income: a panel VAR analysis," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2009-09, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  5. Bergin, Adele, 2009. "Job Mobility in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 40(1), pages 15-47. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. repec:ese:iserwp: is not listed on IDEAS
  7. Myck, Michal & Ochmann, Richard & Qari, Salmai, 2008. "Dynamics of Earnings and Hourly Wages in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 3751, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Robert Moffitt & Peter Gottschalk, 2008. "Trends in the Transitory Variance of Male Earnings in the U.S., 1970-2004," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 697, Boston College Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  9. Ivan Vidangos, 2009. "Household welfare, precautionary saving, and social insurance under multiple sources of risk," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2009-14, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  10. James Feigenbaum & Geng Li, 2008. "A Nonparametric Characterization of Income Uncertainty over the Lifecycle," Working Papers 359, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2008. [Downloadable!]
  11. Jan Brenner, 2009. "Life-Cycle Variations in the Association between Current and Lifetime Earnings – Evidence for German Natives and Guest Workers," Ruhr Economic Papers 0095, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen. [Downloadable!]
  12. Sologon, Denisa Maria & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2009. "Earnings Dynamics and Inequality among Men across 14 EU Countries, 1994-2001: Evidence from ECHP," IZA Discussion Papers 4012, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  13. Nilsen, Øivind Anti & Vaage, Kjell & Aakvik, Arild & Jacobsen, Karl, 2008. "Estimates of Intergenerational Elasticities Based on Lifetime Earnings," IZA Discussion Papers 3709, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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