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Smoothing the adjustment to trade liberalization

Author

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  • Wolfgang Lechthaler

    (Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

  • Mariya Mileva

    (California State University)

Abstract

We use a dynamic general equilibrium trade model with comparative advantage, heterogeneous firms, heterogeneous workers and endogenous firm entry to analyze economic policy meant to compensate the losers of trade liberalization and reduce the ensuing wage inequality. We consider wage taxes, consumption taxes, profit taxes, firm entry subsidies, worker sector-migration subsidies and training subsidies, and find that the re-distributional and distortionary effects of these instruments differ very much. The most potent instrument to reduce the wage inequality after trade liberalization are training subsidies. They increase the supply of skilled workers and thereby reduce the skill premium.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfgang Lechthaler & Mariya Mileva, 2021. "Smoothing the adjustment to trade liberalization," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(4), pages 903-946, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:empiri:v:48:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10663-020-09495-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10663-020-09495-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Lechthaler, Wolfgang & Mileva, Mariya, 2016. "Inter-industry trade and business cycle dynamics," Kiel Working Papers 2041, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Wolfgang Lechthaler & Mariya Mileva, 2019. "Trade liberalization and wage inequality: new insights from a dynamic trade model with heterogeneous firms and comparative advantage," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 155(3), pages 407-457, August.
    3. Zareh Asatryan & Sebastian Braun & Wolfgang Lechthaler & Mariya Mileva & Catia Montagna, 2014. "Compensating the Losers of Free Trade. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 63," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47260, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade liberalization; Wage inequality; Adjustment dynamics; Redistribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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