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Trade and Rising Wage Inequality: What can we learn from a Decade of Computable General Equilibrium Analysis?

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  • Niven Winchester

    (Department of Economics, University of Otago)

Abstract

This paper surveys computable general equilibrium (CGE) contributions to trade-wage debate. We conclude that this literature provides an avalanche of support for the view that trade has had only a minor influence on wage inequality through Heckscher-Ohlin channels. Moreover, some studies show that trade may be associated with declining wage inequality and/or reveal that North-North trade is responsible for a greater proportion of the increase in Northern wage inequality than North-South trade. The impact of trade-induced technical change, however, has received little attention in the CGE literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Niven Winchester, 2006. "Trade and Rising Wage Inequality: What can we learn from a Decade of Computable General Equilibrium Analysis?," Working Papers 0606, University of Otago, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2006.
    • Handle: RePEc:otg:wpaper:0606
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Tokarick, 2005. "Quantifying the Impact of Trade on Wages: the Role of Nontraded Goods," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(5), pages 841-860, November.
    2. Lisandro Abrego & John Whalley, 2003. "Goods market responses to trade shocks and trade and wages decompositions," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 747-757, August.
    3. Olivier Cortes & Sébastien Jean, 1999. "Does Competition from Emerging Countries Threaten Unskilled Labour in Europe? An Applied General Equilibrium Approach," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Paul Brenton & Jacques Pelkmans (ed.), Global Trade and European Workers, chapter 5, pages 96-122, Palgrave Macmillan.
    4. Thierfelder, Karen & Robinson, Sherman, 2002. "Trade and the skilled-unskilled wage gap in a model with differentiated goods," TMD discussion papers 96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    6. Niven Winchester, 2008. "Searching for the Smoking Gun: Did Trade Hurt Unskilled Workers?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(265), pages 141-156, June.
    7. Robert Z. Lawrence & Carolyn L. Evans, 1996. "Trade and Wages: Insights from the Crystal Ball," NBER Working Papers 5633, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Roberto A. De Santis, 2003. "Wage Inequality in the United Kingdom: Trade and/or Technology?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 893-909, June.
    9. Francois, Joseph F & Nelson, Douglas, 1998. "Trade, Technology, and Wages: General Equilibrium Mechanics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(450), pages 1483-1499, September.
    10. Paul Krugman, 1995. "Growing World Trade: Causes and Consequences," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 327-377.
    11. Rod Tyers & Yongzheng Yang, 1997. "Trade with Asia and skill upgrading: Effects on labor markets in the older industrial countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 133(3), pages 383-418, September.
    12. Hertel, Thomas, 1997. "Global Trade Analysis: Modeling and applications," GTAP Books, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, number 7685, December.
    13. De Santis, Roberto A., 2002. "Wage inequality between and within groups: trade-induced or skill-bias technical change? Alternative age models for the UK," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 725-746, November.
    14. Olivier Bontout & Sébastien Jean, 2000. "What Drove Relative Wages in France? Structural Decomposition Analysis in a General Equilibrium Framework, 1970-1992," Working Papers 2000-03, CEPII research center.
    15. Paul Brenton & Jacques Pelkmans (ed.), 1999. "Global Trade and European Workers," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-27035-4.
    16. Abrego, Lisandro & Whalley, John, 2000. "The Choice of Structural Model in Trade-Wages Decompositions," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(3), pages 462-477, August.
    17. Niven Winchester & David Greenaway & Geoffrey V. Reed, 2006. "Skill Classification and the Effects of Trade on Wage Inequality," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(2), pages 287-306, July.
    18. Tyers, R. & Yang, Y., 1996. "Trade with Asia and Skill Upgrading: Effects on Factor Markets in the Older Industrial Countries," CEPR Discussion Papers 346, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    19. Ethier, Wilfred J., 1984. "Higher dimensional issues in trade theory," Handbook of International Economics, in: R. W. Jones & P. B. Kenen (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 3, pages 131-184, Elsevier.
    20. William R. Cline, 1997. "Trade and Income Distribution," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 58, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Harris, Richard G. & Robertson, Peter E., 2013. "Trade, wages and skill accumulation in the emerging giants," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 407-421.
    2. Tyers, Rod, 2015. "International effects of China's rise and transition: Neoclassical and Keynesian perspectives," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-19.
    3. Mirza, Tasneem & Narayanan, Badri & van Leeuwen, Nico, 2014. "Impact of Chinese growth and trade on labor in developed countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 522-532.
    4. Niven Winchester, 2008. "Searching for the Smoking Gun: Did Trade Hurt Unskilled Workers?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(265), pages 141-156, June.
    5. Amrita Chatterjee & Sanjib Pohit & Arpita Ghose, 2016. "Trade and Distributional Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops in India: A CGE Analysis," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 10(3), pages 381-407, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    computable general equilibrium modeling; trade and wages;

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions

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