IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/anresc/v72y2024i4d10.1007_s00168-023-01237-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pollution control, worker productivity, and wage inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Pengqing Zhang

    (Guangdong University of Foreign Studies)

Abstract

Poor environmental quality can reduce worker productivity, but how this effect is associated with skilled-unskilled wage inequality is still unclear. This paper studies how stricter pollution control impacts wage inequality in the presence of such a worker productivity effect by establishing general equilibrium models with two urban sectors and by conducting empirical analysis with country-level panel data. The models show that when the non-polluting sector is under perfect competition, wage inequality is closely related to the worker productivity effect, while when it is under monopolistic competition, productivity gains of skilled workers from stricter pollution control exhibit complete pass-through. Empirical analysis suggests that the worker productivity effect of pollution control is unskill-biased, which helps mitigate inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Pengqing Zhang, 2024. "Pollution control, worker productivity, and wage inequality," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1105-1128, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:anresc:v:72:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s00168-023-01237-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s00168-023-01237-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00168-023-01237-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00168-023-01237-y?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Copeland, Brian R. & Taylor, M. Scott, 1999. "Trade, spatial separation, and the environment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 137-168, February.
    2. Robert C. Feenstra & Robert Inklaar & Marcel P. Timmer, 2015. "The Next Generation of the Penn World Table," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(10), pages 3150-3182, October.
    3. Don Fullerton & Garth Heutel, 2010. "The General Equilibrium Incidence of Environmental Mandates," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 64-89, August.
    4. Pi, Jiancai & Zhang, Pengqing, 2016. "Hukou system reforms and skilled-unskilled wage inequality in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 90-103.
    5. Zhang, Jingjing, 2012. "Inflow of labour, producer services and wage inequality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 600-603.
    6. Tom Y. Chang & Joshua Graff Zivin & Tal Gross & Matthew Neidell, 2019. "The Effect of Pollution on Worker Productivity: Evidence from Call Center Workers in China," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 151-172, January.
    7. Pengqing Zhang, 2019. "Skill formation, environmental pollution, and wage inequality," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(2), pages 405-424, April.
    8. Dixit, Avinash K & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1977. "Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 297-308, June.
    9. Prashant Bharadwaj & Matthew Gibson & Joshua Graff Zivin & Christopher Neilson, 2017. "Gray Matters: Fetal Pollution Exposure and Human Capital Formation," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(2), pages 505-542.
    10. Jiancai Pi & Shenyu Shi, 2019. "Public pollution abatement and wage inequality," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 257-275, February.
    11. Pi, Jiancai & Zhang, Pengqing, 2017. "Foreign capital, pollution control, and wage inequality in developing countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 280-288.
    12. Pan, Lijun & Zhou, Yu, 2013. "International factor mobility, environmental pollution and skilled–unskilled wage inequality in developing countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 826-831.
    13. Joshua Graff Zivin & Matthew Neidell, 2012. "The Impact of Pollution on Worker Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(7), pages 3652-3673, December.
    14. Tom Chang & Joshua Graff Zivin & Tal Gross & Matthew Neidell, 2016. "Particulate Pollution and the Productivity of Pear Packers," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(3), pages 141-169, August.
    15. Beladi, Hamid & Liu, Lu & Oladi, Reza, 2013. "On pollution permits and abatement," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 302-305.
    16. Martin Gassebner & Noel Gaston & Michael J Lamla, 2008. "Relief For The Environment? The Importance Of An Increasingly Unimportant Industrial Sector," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 46(2), pages 160-178, April.
    17. Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz & Luis A. Rivera-Batiz, 2018. "The Effects of Direct Foreign Investment in the Presence of Increasing Returns due to Specialization," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Francisco L Rivera-Batiz & Luis A Rivera-Batiz (ed.), International Trade, Capital Flows and Economic Development, chapter 14, pages 371-396, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    18. Sajid Anwar, 2008. "Labor Inflow Induced Wage Inequality and Public Infrastructure," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(4), pages 792-802, November.
    19. Ee, Mong Shan & Chao, Chi-Chur & Liu, Xiangbo & Yu, Eden S.H., 2018. "Environmental policy, firm dynamics and wage inequality in developing countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 70-85.
    20. Li, Xiaochun & Xu, Yuanting & Wang, Dianshuang, 2014. "Environment and labor movement of skilled labor and unskilled labor between sectors," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 367-371.
    21. Kenji Kondoh & Shigemi Yabuuchi, 2012. "Unemployment, environmental policy, and international migration," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 677-690, October.
    22. Oladi, Reza & Beladi, Hamid, 2015. "On foreign aid, pollution and abatement," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(6), pages 797-812, December.
    23. Chao Chi-Chur & Pasquale M Sgro & Jean-Pierre Laffargue, 2012. "Environmental Control, Wage Inequality and National Welfare for a Tourism Economy," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00644023, HAL.
    24. Frederick Solt, 2020. "Measuring Income Inequality Across Countries and Over Time: The Standardized World Income Inequality Database," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(3), pages 1183-1199, May.
    25. Chao, Chi-Chur & Laffargue, Jean-Pierre & Sgro, Pasquale M., 2012. "Environmental control, wage inequality and national welfare in a tourism economy," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 201-207.
    26. Fullerton, Don & Heutel, Garth, 2007. "The general equilibrium incidence of environmental taxes," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(3-4), pages 571-591, April.
    27. Zhang, Jingjing, 2013. "Factor mobility and skilled–unskilled wage inequality in the presence of internationally traded product varieties," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 579-585.
    28. Li, Xiaochun & Fu, Huanan & Wu, Yunyun, 2020. "Pollution mitigation, unemployment rate and wage inequality in the presence of agricultural pollution," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    29. Yunyun Wu & Xiaochun Li, 2021. "International factor mobility and environment in a dual agricultural economy," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(1), pages 75-89, February.
    30. Fullerton, Don & Monti, Holly, 2013. "Can pollution tax rebates protect low-wage earners?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 539-553.
    31. Yohe, Gary W., 1979. "The backward incidence of pollution control--some comparative statics in general equilibrium," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 187-198, September.
    32. Sajid Anwar, 2010. "Wage Inequality, Increased Competition, and Trade Liberalization: Short Run vs Long Run," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 574-581, August.
    33. Shihe Fu & V Brian Viard & Peng Zhang, 2021. "Air Pollution and Manufacturing Firm Productivity: Nationwide Estimates for China [Management and shocks to worker productivity]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(640), pages 3241-3273.
    34. Rapanos, Vassilis T., 2007. "Environmental taxation in a dualistic economy," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 73-89, February.
    35. Anwar, Sajid, 2009. "Sector specific foreign investment, labour inflow, economies of scale and welfare," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 626-630, May.
    36. Sarbajit Chaudhuri, 2005. "Labour Market Distortion, Technology Transfer And Gainful Effects Of Foreign Capital," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 73(2), pages 214-227, March.
    37. Hamid Beladi & Ralph Frasca, 1999. "Pollution control under an urban binding minimum wage," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 33(4), pages 523-533.
    38. Makoto Tawada & Shuqin Sun, 2010. "Urban Pollution, Unemployment and National Welfare in a Dualistic Economy," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 311-322, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kuo‐Hsing Kuo & Shang‐Fen Wu & Cheng‐Te Lee, 2022. "The impact of environmental policy on wage inequality," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(4), pages 472-485, December.
    2. Pi, Jiancai & Zhang, Pengqing, 2017. "Foreign capital, pollution control, and wage inequality in developing countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 280-288.
    3. Pengqing Zhang, 2019. "Skill formation, environmental pollution, and wage inequality," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(2), pages 405-424, April.
    4. Yunyun Wu & Xiaochun Li, 2021. "International factor mobility and environment in a dual agricultural economy," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 66(1), pages 75-89, February.
    5. Yunyun Wu & Xiaochun Li, 2024. "Industrial technological progress, technology spillover, and the environment in a dual agricultural economy," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 20(2), pages 243-266, June.
    6. Tiago Cavalcanti & Kamiar Mohaddes & Hongyu Nian & Haitao Yin, 2023. "Air pollution and firm-level human capital, knowledge and innovation," Working Papers EPRG2301, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    7. Dianshuang Wang & Hongyun Huang & Xin Zhao & Fang Fang, 2023. "Green technological progress, agricultural modernization, and wage inequality: Lessons from China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1673-1698, August.
    8. Pang, Yu, 2018. "Profitable pollution abatement? A worker productivity perspective," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 33-49.
    9. Jiancai Pi & Xinyi Liu, 2024. "Pollution control and multinational firms," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 20(1), pages 3-27, March.
    10. Moritz A. Drupp & Ulrike Kornek & Jasper N. Meya & Lutz Sager, 2021. "Inequality and the Environment: The Economics of a Two-Headed Hydra," CESifo Working Paper Series 9447, CESifo.
    11. Pi, Jiancai & Chen, Xuyang, 2016. "The impacts of capital market distortion on wage inequality, urban unemployment, and welfare in developing countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 103-115.
    12. Zhenyu Yao & Wei Zhang & Xinde Ji & Weizhe Weng, 2023. "Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Cognitive Performance: New Evidence from China’s College English Test," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(1), pages 211-237, May.
    13. Qin, Ming & Fan, Lin-feng & Li, Jing & Li, Yi-fei, 2021. "The income distribution effects of environmental regulation in China: The case of binding SO2 reduction targets," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    14. Sun, Sizhong & Anwar, Sajid, 2015. "Taxation of labour, product varieties and skilled–unskilled wage inequality: Short run versus long run," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 250-257.
    15. Xiaochun Li & Huanan Fu, 2023. "Agricultural producer service subsidies and agricultural pollution: An approach based on endogenous agricultural pollution," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 1177-1198, May.
    16. Huanan Fu & Xiaochun Li, 2023. "Rural–urban migrants’ remittance and agricultural pollution in the presence of agricultural dualism," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(2), pages 535-558, April.
    17. Shihe Fu & V. Brian Viard, 2022. "A mayors perspective on tackling air pollution," Chapters, in: Charles K.Y. Leung (ed.), Handbook of Real Estate and Macroeconomics, chapter 16, pages 413-437, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Li, Xiaochun & Fu, Huanan & Wu, Yunyun, 2020. "Pollution mitigation, unemployment rate and wage inequality in the presence of agricultural pollution," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    19. Felix Bracht & Dennis Verhoeven, 2021. "Air pollution and innovation," CEP Discussion Papers dp1817, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    20. Luis Sarmiento, 2020. "Waiting for My Sentence: Air Pollution and the Productivity of Court Rulings," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1878, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects

    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:spr:anresc:v:72:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s00168-023-01237-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.