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Nominal Devaluations, Inflation and Inequality

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  • Andrés Blanco
  • Andrés Drenik
  • Emilio Zaratiegui

Abstract

We study the distribution of labor income during large devaluations. Across countries, inequality falls after large devaluations within the context of a surge in inflation and a fall and subsequent recovery of real labor income. To better understand inequality dynamics, we use a novel administrative dataset covering the 2002 Argentinean devaluation. We show that following a homogeneous fall in real labor income across workers, the bottom of the income distribution recovers faster than the top. Low labor mobility and lack of union coverage among high-income workers explain their slow recovery.

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  • Andrés Blanco & Andrés Drenik & Emilio Zaratiegui, 2024. "Nominal Devaluations, Inflation and Inequality," NBER Working Papers 32494, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32494
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucas Ordóñez, 2025. "The Transmission of Supply Shocks to Inflation: the Case of Argentina (2004-2022)," Working Papers 351, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    2. Ordoñez Lucas Sebastián, 2024. "The transmission of Supply Shocks to inflation: The case of Argentina (2004-2023)," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4750, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.

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    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F44 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Business Cycles

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