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The effects of measurement error and omitted variables when using transition matrices to measure intergenerational mobility

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  • O’NEILL, Donal
  • SWEETMAN, Olive
  • VAN DE GAER, Dirk

Abstract

This paper examines the consequences of specification error when transition matrices are used to analyse patterns of intergenerational mobility. We show that classical measurement error in both the child’s and parent’s earnings can lead to biased results, with summary mobility measures biased by as much as 20% in some cases. Furthermore our results suggest that the extent of the bias is most severe in the tails of the distribution. Omitted conditioning variables appear to have a modest effect on transition matrices in our model. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007
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Suggested Citation

  • O’NEILL, Donal & SWEETMAN, Olive & VAN DE GAER, Dirk, 2007. "The effects of measurement error and omitted variables when using transition matrices to measure intergenerational mobility," LIDAM Reprints CORE 1962, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvrp:1962
    DOI: 10.1007/s10888-006-9035-7
    Note: In : Journal of Economic Inequal, 5, 159-178, 2007
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    Cited by:

    1. Yonghong An & Wang Le & Ruli Xiao, 2015. "Your American Dream is Not Mine! A New Approach to Estimating Intergenerational Mobility Elasticities," CAEPR Working Papers 2015-016, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Department of Economics, Indiana University Bloomington.
    2. Matthias Schnetzer & Wilfried Altzinger, 2011. "From rags to riches? Intergenerational transmission of income in Europe," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp135, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    3. Miles Corak, 2017. "Divided Landscapes of Economic Opportunity: The Canadian Geography of Intergenerational Income Mobility," Working Papers 2017-043, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    4. Martin Nybom & Jan Stuhler, 2017. "Biases in Standard Measures of Intergenerational Income Dependence," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 52(3), pages 800-825.
    5. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2021. "The Anatomy of Intergenerational Income Mobility in France and its Spatial Variations," Working Papers hal-03812824, HAL.
    6. Donal O’Neill & Olive Sweetman, 2013. "The consequences of measurement error when estimating the impact of obesity on income," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-20, December.
    7. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2021. "The Anatomy of Intergenerational Income Mobility in France and its Spatial Variations," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-03812824, HAL.
    8. Marie Connolly & Miles Corak & Catherine Haeck, 2019. "Intergenerational Mobility Between and Within Canada and the United States," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(S2), pages 595-641.
    9. O'Neill, Donal & Sweetman, Olive, 2012. "The Consequences of Measurement Error when Estimating the Impact of BMI on Labour Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 7008, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Markus Jäntti & Stephen P. Jenkins, 2013. "Income Mobility," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 607, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    11. Chen, Wen-Hao & Ostrovsky, Yuri & Piraino, Patrizio, 2017. "Lifecycle variation, errors-in-variables bias and nonlinearities in intergenerational income transmission: new evidence from Canada," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-12.
    12. Bühler Jonas & Erhardt Tamara & Häner-Müller Melanie & Schaltegger Christoph A., 2025. "Ist Blut dicker als Wasser? Wie die Familie den sozialen Aufstieg beeinflusst," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 26(1), pages 62-79.
    13. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2021. "The Anatomy of Intergenerational Income Mobility in France and its Spatial Variations," PSE Working Papers halshs-03455282, HAL.
    14. Michele Bavaro & Federico Tullio, 2023. "Intergenerational mobility measurement with latent transition matrices," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 21(1), pages 25-45, March.
    15. Corak, Miles & Lindquist, Matthew J. & Mazumder, Bhashkar, 2014. "A comparison of upward and downward intergenerational mobility in Canada, Sweden and the United States," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 185-200.
    16. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2021. "The Anatomy of Intergenerational Income Mobility in France and its Spatial Variations," Sciences Po Economics Discussion Papers hal-03812824, HAL.
    17. Gustave Kenedi & Louis Sirugue, 2021. "The Anatomy of Intergenerational Income Mobility in France and its Spatial Variations," Working Papers halshs-03455282, HAL.
    18. Kenedi, Gustave & Sirugue, Louis, 2023. "Intergenerational income mobility in France: A comparative and geographic analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    19. Florencia Torche, 2015. "Analyses of Intergenerational Mobility," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 657(1), pages 37-62, January.
    20. Nicolas Pistolesi, 2009. "Inequality of opportunity in the land of opportunities, 1968–2001," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 7(4), pages 411-433, December.
    21. Robert Schoeni & Emily Wiemers, 2015. "The implications of selective attrition for estimates of intergenerational elasticity of family income," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(3), pages 351-372, September.
    22. Chen, Chenxuan, 2025. "Fintech and absolute intergenerational mobility: Evidence from digital finance development in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1020-1032.
    23. Black, Sandra E. & Devereux, Paul J., 2011. "Recent Developments in Intergenerational Mobility," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 16, pages 1487-1541, Elsevier.
    24. Arnaud Lefranc & Nicolas Pistolesi & Alain Trannoy, 2008. "Inequality Of Opportunities Vs. Inequality Of Outcomes: Are Western Societies All Alike?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 54(4), pages 513-546, December.
    25. Bavaro, Michele, 2018. "Intergenerational mobility of status with multiple dimensions in Germany and the United Kingdom," ISER Working Paper Series 2018-09, Institute for Social and Economic Research.

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