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An Appraisal of Economic Research on Changes in Wage Inequality

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  • Stephen Machin

Abstract

. In this paper (based on my invited lecture to the 2007 Association of Italian Labour Economists) I offer an appraisal of the large economic literature on changes in wage inequality. I describe the origins of the recent work, the sizable body of research trying to understand national and international differences, and discuss the directions in which more recent work has moved. The paper concludes with the observation that, for a number of reasons, research that tries to better understand changing patterns of wage inequality (especially in a cross‐country context) is likely to remain high on the research agenda of empirical labour economists.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Machin, 2008. "An Appraisal of Economic Research on Changes in Wage Inequality," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 22(s1), pages 7-26, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:22:y:2008:i:s1:p:7-26
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9914.2008.00421.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leonardi, Marco, 2002. "Product Demand Shifts and Wage Inequality," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2002 125, Royal Economic Society.
    2. Jean-Marc Burniaux & Flavio Padrini & Nicola Brandt, 2006. "Labour Market Performance, Income Inequality and Poverty in OECD countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 500, OECD Publishing.
    3. Wood, Adrian, 1995. "North-South Trade, Employment and Inequality: Changing Fortunes in a Skill-Driven World," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198290155.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Seidlitz, Arnim, 2020. "Die Lohnungleichheit von Vollzeitbeschäftigten in Deutschland : Rückblick und Überblick (Wage inequality among the full-time employed in Germany revisited : An overview)," IAB-Discussion Paper 202019, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    2. Susan Hayter & Bradley Weinberg, 2011. "Mind the Gap: Collective Bargaining and Wage Inequality," Chapters, in: Susan Hayter (ed.), The Role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Uwe Jirjahn & Kornelius Kraft, 2010. "Teamwork And Intra‐Firm Wage Dispersion Among Blue‐Collar Workers," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 57(4), pages 404-429, September.
    4. Raymundo M. Campos-Vázquez, 2013. "Why did wage inequality decrease in Mexico after NAFTA?," Economía Mexicana NUEVA ÉPOCA, CIDE, División de Economía, vol. 0(2), pages 245-278, July-Dece.
    5. Tara Watson, 2009. "Inequality And The Measurement Of Residential Segregation By Income In American Neighborhoods," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 55(3), pages 820-844, September.
    6. Petri Böckerman & Seppo Laaksonen & Jari Vainiomäki, 2013. "Is There Job Polarization at the Firm Level?," Working Papers 1391, Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business, Economics.
    7. Laporšek, Suzana & Orazem, Peter F. & Vodopivec, Milan & Vodopivec, Matija, 2021. "Winners and losers after 25 years of transition: Decreasing wage inequality in Slovenia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(2).
    8. Ronald Bachmann & Peggy Bechara & Sandra Schaffner, 2016. "Wage Inequality and Wage Mobility in Europe," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62(1), pages 181-197, March.
    9. Uwe Jirjahn, 2015. "Research on Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Contribution of Labor Economics," Research Papers in Economics 2015-10, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    10. Cazzavillan, Guido & Olszewski, Krzysztof, 2011. "Skill-biased technological change, endogenous labor supply and growth: A model and calibration to Poland and the US," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 124-136, June.
    11. Biewen Martin & Plötze Daniela, 2019. "The Role of Hours Changes for the Increase in German Earnings Inequality," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(2), pages 1-28, April.
    12. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp1595 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Rienzo, Cinzia, 2008. "Residual Wage Inequality and Immigration in the UK and the US," MPRA Paper 30279, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Mar 2011.
    14. Uwe Jirjahn, 2013. "Der Beitrag der Arbeitsmarktökonomik zur Erforschung von Gewerkschaften und Tarifvertragsbeziehungen in Deutschland," Research Papers in Economics 2013-03, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    15. Raymundo M. Campos Vázquez & Andrés Hincapie & Rubén I. Rojas Valdés, 2011. "Family Income Inequality and the Role of Wives Earnings in Mexico: 1988-2010," Serie documentos de trabajo del Centro de Estudios Económicos 2011-07, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos.
    16. Cao, Qingfeng & Chi, Chuenyu & Shan, Junhui, 2025. "Can artificial intelligence technology reduce carbon emissions? A global perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    17. Cao, Qingfeng & Ni, Pengfei & Guo, Jing, 2025. "Broadband internet and income inequality among the floating population: Evidence from the “broadband China” strategy in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    18. Yannick Kalantzis & Ryo Kambayashi & Sébastien Lechevalier, 2012. "Wage and Productivity Differentials in Japan: The Role of Labor Market Mechanisms," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 26(4), pages 514-541, December.
    19. McNally, Sandra, 2010. "Evaluating education policies: the evidence from economic research," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 57973, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Rafa Madariaga & Joan Carles Martori & Ramon Oller, 2019. "Wage income inequality in Catalonian second-rank cities," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(2), pages 285-304, April.
    21. Michel Dumont & Nikolina Stojanovska & Ludo Cuyvers, 2011. "World inequality, globalisation, technology and labour market institutions," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(3), pages 257-272, June.
    22. Salverda, Wiemer & Checchi, Daniele, 2014. "Labour-Market Institutions and the Dispersion of Wage Earnings," IZA Discussion Papers 8220, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    23. Perugini, Cristiano & Pompei, Fabrizio, 2016. "Employment protection and wage inequality within education groups in Europe," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 810-836.
    24. Susan Hayter, 2015. "Unions and collective bargaining," Chapters, in: Janine Berg (ed.), Labour Markets, Institutions and Inequality, chapter 4, pages 95-122, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    25. Bofinger, Peter & Schnabel, Isabel & Feld, Lars P. & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Wieland, Volker, 2014. "Mehr Vertrauen in Marktprozesse. Jahresgutachten 2014/15 [More confidence in market processes. Annual Report 2014/15]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 201415.

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