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Skilled-unskilled wage inequality: A general equilibrium analysis

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  • Gupta, Manash Ranjan
  • Dutta, Priya Brata

Abstract

The paper develops a static three sector competitive general equilibrium model of a small open economy in which skilled labour is mobile between a traded good sector and a non-traded good sector and unskilled labour is specific to another traded good sector. The capital is perfectly mobile among all these three sectors. We examine the effects of change in different factor endowments and of globalization on skilled-unskilled wage inequality. We find that the effect of a change of a factor endowment on wage inequality depends on the factor intensity ranking between two skilled labours using sectors and on the relative strength of the marginal effects on demand for and supply of non-tradable good. We also find that a decrease in the price of the product produced by skilled (unskilled) labour using traded good sector lowers (raises) the skilled-unskilled wage inequality.

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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Research in Economics.

Volume (Year): 64 (2010)
Issue (Month): 4 (December)
Pages: 247-263

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Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:64:y:2010:i:4:p:247-263
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622941

Keywords: Wage inequality Skilled labour Unskilled labour Non-traded good General equilibrium Capital Globalization Emigration;

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Cited by:

  1. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2012. "Skilled–unskilled wage inequality, product variety, public input and increasing returns: A static general equilibrium analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 502-513.
  2. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2011. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality and unemployment: A general equilibrium analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 1977-1983, July.

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