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The Distribution of Welfare: Inequality, Earnings Capacity, and Household Production in a Comparative Perspective

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  • Timothy Smeeding
  • Inge O'Connor
  • Peter Saunders

Abstract

Cross-national comparisons of earnings inequality can be misleading when unemployment rates and rate of female labor force participation differ across countries. This is because such comparisons implicitly place zero values on underutilized labor market activity and domestic labor. This paper approaches this problem by using an earnings capacity technique developed by Irwin Garfinkel and Robert Haveman, an extension of Gary Beckers full-income concept.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Smeeding & Inge O'Connor & Peter Saunders, 1994. "The Distribution of Welfare: Inequality, Earnings Capacity, and Household Production in a Comparative Perspective," LIS Working papers 122, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lis:liswps:122
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jonathan Gershuny & John Robinson, 1988. "Historical changes in the household division of labor," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 25(4), pages 537-552, November.
    2. Gottschalk, Peter, 1993. "Changes in Inequality of Family Income in Seven Industrialized Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(2), pages 136-142, May.
    3. repec:bla:revinw:v:39:y:1993:i:3:p:229-56 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Robert Haveman & Lawrence Buron, 1993. "Escaping Poverty Through Work: The Problem Of Low Earnings Capacity In The United States, 1973–88," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 39(2), pages 141-157, June.
    5. Gordon Green & John Coder & Paul Ryscavage, 1992. "INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF EARNINGS INEQUALITY FOR MEN IN THE 1980s," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 38(1), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Sheldon Danziger, 1980. "Do Working Wives Increase Family Income Inequality?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 15(3), pages 444-451.
    7. repec:bla:revinw:v:39:y:1993:i:4:p:419-33 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Shelley Phipps, 1993. "Determinants of Women s Labor-Force Participation: An Econometric Analysis for Five Countries," LIS Working papers 99, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    9. Wilhelm Lorenz & Joachim Wagner & Karel van den Bosch, 1990. "A Note on the Returns to Human Capital in the Eighties: Evidence from Twelve Countries," LIS Working papers 54, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    10. Daniel J. Slottje & Kathy J. Hayes & Joyce Shackett, 1992. "Labour Force Participation, Race And Human Capital: Influence On Earnings Distributions Across States," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 38(1), pages 27-37, March.
    11. Sheila Shaver & Jonathan Bradshaw, 1993. "The Recognition of Wifely Labour by Welfare States," Discussion Papers 0044, University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.
    12. Klaus Wolff, 1990. "An International Comparison of Married Women s Labor Force Participation: A Cross-Country Analysis for Employees in Seven Countries," LIS Working papers 48, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    13. Robert Schoeni & Maria Cancian, 1992. "Female Earnings and the Level and Distribution of Household Income in Developed Countries," LIS Working papers 84, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    14. repec:bla:revinw:v:39:y:1993:i:2:p:141-58 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Nelissen, J.H.M., 1990. "The effect of increased labor force participation of married women on the distribution of family income in the Netherlands," Other publications TiSEM 2d655e83-cbcb-4587-bb0b-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Bruce Bradbury, 1993. "Male Wage Inequality Before and After Tax: A Six Country Comparison," Discussion Papers 0042, University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Bittman & Robert Goodin, 2000. "An Equivalence Scale for Time," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 291-311, December.
    2. Robert Goodin & James Rice & Michael Bittman & Peter Saunders, 2005. "The Time-Pressure Illusion: Discretionary Time vs. Free Time," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 43-70, August.

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