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Can Safety Nets Offset the Impact of Risk on Wage Inequality and Social Welfare?

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Makdissi

    (Departement d'economique, Universite de Sherbrooke)

  • Quentin Wodon

    (AFTPM, World Bank)

Abstract

Income variablity reduces social welfare if individuals are risk averse, and it is likely to increase inequality if poorer households are more vulnerable to shocks. Using a simple method to estimate risk-adjusted measures of inequality and welfare and wage data from Mexico, this note shows that it is easier for safety nets to offset the impact of risk on wage inequality than on welfare. This is because apart from its impact on inequality, risk reduces the certainty equivalent income of individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Makdissi & Quentin Wodon, 2002. "Can Safety Nets Offset the Impact of Risk on Wage Inequality and Social Welfare?," Cahiers de recherche 02-08, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke, revised 2002.
    • Handle: RePEc:shr:wpaper:02-08
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    File URL: http://gredi.recherche.usherbrooke.ca/wpapers/02_08_pm.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Pene Kalulumia, 2002. "Effects of government debt on interest rates: evidence from causality tests in johansen-type models," Cahiers de recherche 02-07, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.
    2. Pene Kalulumia & Denis Bolduc, 2004. "Generalized Mixed Estimation Of A Multinomial Discretecontinuous Choice Model For Electricity Demand," Cahiers de recherche 04-01, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.
    3. Petr Hanel, 2003. "Impact Of Government Support Programs On Innovation By Canadian Manufacturing Firms," Cahiers de recherche 04-02, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inequality; Welfare; Risk; Safety Nets; Mexico;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General

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