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Falling Labor Share and Rising Inequality: The Role of Wage Contracts

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  • Cynthia Doniger

    (Federal Reserve Board)

Abstract

I study trends in labor share and earnings inequality in the context of an on- the-job search model featuring heterogeneous wage contracts. In the model, a shift toward employment contracts with upwardly-re-negotiable wages implies a decrease in labor share and an increase in inequality. Using the German social security register, I assess the ability of this mechanism to account for trends in inequality and labor share observed in that country. I find a secular trend toward renegotiable wage contracts which accelerates in the late 1990's matching the observed series for inequality and labor share over the same horizon. Further, I find that industries in which the incidence of renegotiable contracts increases most also experience larger increases in inequality and larger declines in labor share.

Suggested Citation

  • Cynthia Doniger, 2018. "Falling Labor Share and Rising Inequality: The Role of Wage Contracts," 2018 Meeting Papers 526, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed018:526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cynthia Doniger, 2023. "Wage Dispersion with Heterogeneous Wage Contracts," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 138-160, December.
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