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Structural change and wage inequality: Evidence from German micro data

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  • Henze, Philipp

Abstract

This paper measures the impact of sectoral composition, international trade and technological progress on the rising wage gap in Germany. I find a positive effect of the increasing importance of services on the rising wage gap in Germany that is comparable to the effects of international trade and technological change. To quantify the causal relationship between the structural change of the German economy and the wage premium, I use the Establishment History Panel (in German: Betriebs-Historik-Panel - BHP), a detailed establishment-level data set provided by the German Federal Employment Office covering the period 1975-2010. This empirical work puts the focus on an important cause of the rising wage gap that so far has been largely ignored by the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Henze, Philipp, 2014. "Structural change and wage inequality: Evidence from German micro data," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 204, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:cegedp:204
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    Cited by:

    1. Henze, Philipp, 2015. "Structural change and total factor productivity: Evidence from Germany," Economics Working Papers 2015-03, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Economics.
    2. Boddin, Dominik & Henze, Philipp, 2015. "International trade and the occupational mix in manufacturing: Evidence from german micro data," Economics Working Papers 2015-05, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Economics.
    3. Beckmannshagen, Mattis & Schröder, Carsten, 2022. "Earnings inequality and working hours mismatch," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. König Corinna & Sakshaug Joseph W. & Stegmaier Jens & Kohaut Susanne, 2021. "Trends in Establishment Survey Nonresponse Rates and Nonresponse Bias: Evidence from the 2001-2017 IAB Establishment Panel," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 37(4), pages 931-953, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    income inequality; structural change; international trade; technological change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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