IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/labour/v18y2004i2p317-327.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact on Inequality of Raising the Minimum Wage: Gap‐narrowing and Reranking Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Diego F. Angel‐Urdinola
  • Quentin Wodon

Abstract

Raising the minimum wage may reduce inequality by increasing the wages of low‐skill workers, but it may also increase inequality due to negative impacts on employment that produce wage losses. Using previous estimates of the elasticities of wages and employment to changes in the minimum wage in Colombia and Brazil, we show that the net impact on inequality of increasing the minimum wage may depend on the distributional weights used for inequality measurement. The results are obtained by decomposing the Gini index into reranking and gap‐narrowing effects. Inequality‐increasing reranking effects, which are associated with job losses, may dominate inequality‐decreasing gap‐narrowing effects, which are associated with wage gains, when high weights are placed on workers with low earnings. For standard distributional weights, however, the likely net impact is a reduction in wage inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Diego F. Angel‐Urdinola & Quentin Wodon, 2004. "The Impact on Inequality of Raising the Minimum Wage: Gap‐narrowing and Reranking Effects," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 18(2), pages 317-327, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:18:y:2004:i:2:p:317-327
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1121-7081.2004.00269.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1121-7081.2004.00269.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1121-7081.2004.00269.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jairo Núnez & Roberto Steiner & Ximena Cadena & Renata Pardo, 2002. "¿Cuáles Colegios Ofrecen Mejor Educación En Colombia?," Documentos CEDE 3796, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    2. John T. Addison & McKinleyl Blackburn, 1999. "Minimum Wages and Poverty," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 52(3), pages 393-409, April.
    3. Javier A. Birchenall, 2007. "Income distribution and macroeconomics in Colombia," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 16(2), pages 6-24, June.
    4. Pablo Fajnzylber, 2001. "Minimum Wage Effects Throughout the Wage Distribution: Evidence from Brazil's Formal and Informal Sectors," Anais do XXIX Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 29th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 098, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    5. Pablo Fajnzylber, 2001. "Minimum wage effects throughout the wage distribution: evidence from Brazil’s formal and informal sectors," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG td151, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    6. Thomas F. RUTHERFORD & Miles K. LIGHT & Gustavo Adolfo HERNANDEZ, 2002. "A dynamic general equilibrium model for tax policy analysis in Colombia," Archivos de Economía 1910, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    7. Alejandro GAVIRIA URIBE & Jairo Augusto NUÑEZ MENDEZ, 2003. "Evaluating the impact of SENA on earnings and Employment," Archivos de Economía 2646, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    8. Jaime Andrés ESTRADA, 2002. "Optimal enforcement: Finding the right balance," Archivos de Economía 3302, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    9. Carlos Pombo, 1994. "Comercio intraindustrial: el caso colombiano," Coyuntura Económica, Fedesarrollo, December.
    10. Aronson, J. Richard & Lambert, Peter J., 1994. "Decomposing the Gini Coefficient to Reveal the Vertical, Horizontal, and Reranking Effects of Income Taxation," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(2), pages 273-294, June.
    11. Francisco Javier Lasso, 2003. "Economías de escala en los hogares y la pobreza," Revista de Economía del Rosario, Universidad del Rosario, June.
    12. Castro Carlos Alberto, 2001. "Eficiencia-X en el sector bancario colombiano," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, September.
    13. Juan Carlos ECHEVERRY GARZON, 2002. "El siglo del modelo de desarrollo," Archivos de Economía 2552, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    14. Eduardo Wiesner, 2002. "Transferencias, incentivos y la endogenidad del gasto territorial," Archivos de Economía 11244, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    15. Diego F. Angel‐Urdinola & Quentin Wodon, 2006. "The Gender Wage Gap and Poverty in Colombia," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 20(4), pages 721-739, December.
    16. Neumark, D. & Schweitzer, M. & Wascher, W., 1999. "The Effect of Minimum Wages Throughout the Wage Distribution," Papers 9919, London School of Economics - Centre for Labour Economics.
    17. Andrés ESCOBAR ARANGO & Gustavo Adolfo HERNANDEZ & Gabriel PIRAQUIVE & Juan Mauricio RAMIREZ, 2003. "Elementos para el análisis de incidencia tributaria," Archivos de Economía 2571, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    18. Juan Carlos ECHEVERRY GARZON & Andrés ESCOBAR ARANGO & César MERCHAN HERNANDEZ & Gabriel PIRAQUIVE GALEANO, 2001. "Elementos para el debate sobre una nueva reforma pensional en Colombia," Archivos de Economía 11243, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    19. Natalia Salazar Ferro & Diego Prada H., 2004. "El balance estructural del gobierno central en Colombia," Coyuntura Económica, Fedesarrollo, March.
    20. Ortega, Juan Ricardo & Piraquive, Gabriel Armando & Hernandez, Gustavo Adolfo & Soto, Carolina & Prada, Sergio & Ramirez, Juan Mauricio, 2000. "Incidencia fiscal de los incentivos tributarios [Fiscal Incidence of tax incentives]," MPRA Paper 14016, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Diego F. ANGEL URDINOLA & Quentin WODON, 2003. "Relative labor supply and the gender wage Gap: Evidence for Colombia and the United States," Archivos de Economía 3452, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    22. Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 1983. "On an Extension of the Gini Inequality Index," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 24(3), pages 617-628, October.
    23. Plotnick, Robert, 1981. "A Measure of Horizontal Inequity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 63(2), pages 283-288, May.
    24. Aronson, J. Richard & Lambert, Peter J., 1994. "Decomposing the Gini Coefficient to Reveal the Vertical, Horizontal, and Reranking Effects of Income Taxation," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 47(2), pages 273-94, June.
    25. Richard V. Burkhauser & T. Aldrich Finegan, 1989. "The minimum wage and the poor: The end of a relationship," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(1), pages 53-71.
    26. Thomas F. Rutherford & Miles K. LIGHT, 2002. "A General Equilibrium Model for Tax Policy Analysis in Colombia: The MEGATAX Model," Archivos de Economía 11291, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    27. Kakwani, Nanak, 1984. "The Relative Deprivation Curve and Its Applications," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 2(4), pages 384-394, October.
    28. Fernando MESA PARRA, 2001. "Strategic Trade Policy and Exchange Rate Uncertainty," Archivos de Economía 3527, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    29. Kakwani, Nanak, 1984. "The Relative Deprivation Curve and Its Applications: Reply," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 2(4), pages 400-405, October.
    30. Hernandez, Gustavo Adolfo & Light, Miles & Rutherford, Thomas, 2002. "A dynamic general equilibrium model for tax policy analysis in Colombia," MPRA Paper 28435, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    31. Allan DRAZEN & Marcela ESLAVA, 2003. "The political business cycle in Colombia on the National and Regional level," Archivos de Economía 3616, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    32. Miles Kenneth LIGHT & Thomas Fox RUTHERFORD, 2003. "Free Trade Area of the Americas. An impact Assessment for Colombia," Archivos de Economía 2744, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Diego Angel-Urdinola, 2008. "Can a minimum wage increase have an adverse impact on inequality? Evidence from two Latin American economies," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 6(1), pages 57-71, March.
    2. José Daniel REYES PENA, 2003. "The cost of disinflation in Colombia: -A sacrifice Ratio Approach-," Archivos de Economía 3579, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    3. Enrique PINZON GARCIA & Oscar M. VALENCIA ARANA, 2006. "The Determinants of Colombian Firm´s Debt-Asset Ratio (1997-2003)," Archivos de Economía 3582, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    4. Maria Otilia Orozco, 2005. "Colombia's Higher Education Quality Control System and Potential for Further Development," Archivos de Economía 2139, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    5. Alexandros Karakitsios & Manos Matsaganis, 2018. "Minimum Wage Effects on Poverty and Inequality," DEOS Working Papers 1801, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    6. Diego F. ANGEL-URDINOLA, 2004. "A Minimum Wage Increase Can Have an Adverse Distributional Impact:The case of Colombia," Archivos de Economía 1922, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. José Daniel REYES PENA, 2003. "The cost of disinflation in Colombia: -A sacrifice Ratio Approach-," Archivos de Economía 3579, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    2. Enrique PINZON GARCIA & Oscar M. VALENCIA ARANA, 2006. "The Determinants of Colombian Firm´s Debt-Asset Ratio (1997-2003)," Archivos de Economía 3582, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    3. Maria Otilia Orozco, 2005. "Colombia's Higher Education Quality Control System and Potential for Further Development," Archivos de Economía 2139, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    4. Diego F. ANGEL-URDINOLA, 2004. "A Minimum Wage Increase Can Have an Adverse Distributional Impact:The case of Colombia," Archivos de Economía 1922, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    5. Diego F. ANGEL URDINOLA & Quentin WODON, 2003. "Relative labor supply and the gender wage Gap: Evidence for Colombia and the United States," Archivos de Economía 3452, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    6. Carlos Alberto CASTRO IRAGORRI, 2003. "Yet another lagging, coincident and leading index for the Colombian economy," Archivos de Economía 3785, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    7. Allan DRAZEN & Marcela ESLAVA, 2003. "The political business cycle in Colombia on the National and Regional level," Archivos de Economía 3616, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    8. Paula ACOSTA MARQUEZ, 2002. "Does corporate governance matter for developing countries? An overview of the Mexican case," Archivos de Economía 2380, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    9. Jaime Andrés ESTRADA, 2002. "Optimal enforcement: Finding the right balance," Archivos de Economía 3302, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    10. Thomas F. RUTHERFORD & Miles K. LIGHT & Gustavo Adolfo HERNANDEZ, 2002. "A dynamic general equilibrium model for tax policy analysis in Colombia," Archivos de Economía 1910, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    11. Mauricio SANTAMARÍA SALAMANCA, 2001. "External Trade, Skill, Technology and the recent increase of income inequality in Colombia," Archivos de Economía 2705, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    12. Fernando MESA PARRA, 2001. "Strategic Trade Policy and Exchange Rate Uncertainty," Archivos de Economía 3527, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    13. Duclos, Jean-Yves & Jalbert, Vincent & Araar, Abdelkrim, 2000. "Classical Horizontal Inequity and Reranking: an Integrated Approach," Cahiers de recherche 0002, Université Laval - Département d'économique.
    14. Gustavo Adolfo HERNANDEZ DIAZ, 2011. "Impuestos parafiscales y mercado laboral: Un análisis de Equilibrio General Computable," Archivos de Economía 8954, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    15. Jellal, Mohamed, 2012. "Maroc salaire minimum emploi et pauvreté [Morocco minimum wage employment and poverty]," MPRA Paper 38491, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. J. Richard Aronson & Peter J. Lambert & Donald R. Trippeer, 1999. "Estimates of the Changing Equity Characteristics of the U.S. Income Tax with International Conjectures," Public Finance Review, , vol. 27(2), pages 138-159, March.
    17. Herault, Nicolas & Jenkins, Stephen P., 2023. "Redistribution, horizontal inequity, and reranking: direct taxation in the UK, 1977–2020," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120996, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    18. Gindling, T.H. & Terrell, Katherine, 2010. "Minimum Wages, Globalization, and Poverty in Honduras," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 908-918, June.
    19. Walter Piesch, 2005. "A look at the structure of some extended Ginis," Metron - International Journal of Statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate - University of Rome, vol. 0(2), pages 263-296.
    20. Shiro Takeda & Toshi H. Arimura & Makoto Sugino, 2019. "Labor Market Distortions and Welfare-Decreasing International Emissions Trading," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(1), pages 271-293, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:18:y:2004:i:2:p:317-327. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/csrotit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.