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Consumption Smoothing and the Structure of Labor and Credit Markets

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  • Winfried Koeniger
  • Giuseppe Bertola

Abstract

When borrowing is limited by possible insolvency, a higher lower bound for future income affords earlier consumption and higher welfare. Limited opportunities for consumption smoothing also imply that prospects of upward income mobility have smaller beneficial effects for workers whose labor income is temporarily low. These simple theoretical insights are consistent with the empirically more pronounced tendency of poor would-borrowers to favor government redistribution in countries where consumer credit is relatively scarce. They also offer a rationale for observed patterns of institutional covariation. In countries where inefficient legal systems restrict borrowing opportunities, policies that reduce the dispersion and volatility of labor income alleviate credit constraints. Empirical support for this proposition offers more general insights as to ways in which historically determined features and politico-economic interactions may jointly shape institutional aspects of different markets, and as to appropriate design of reform processes

Suggested Citation

  • Winfried Koeniger & Giuseppe Bertola, 2004. "Consumption Smoothing and the Structure of Labor and Credit Markets," 2004 Meeting Papers 263, Society for Economic Dynamics.
  • Handle: RePEc:red:sed004:263
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    Cited by:

    1. Eva Sierminska & Alena Bic kov, 2007. "Homeownership Inequality and the Access to Credit Markets. Can Credit Availability Explain Cross-country Differences in the Inequality of Homeownership across Income of Young Households?," LWS Working papers 5, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Michal Pilc, 2015. "What Determines The Reforms Of Employment Protection Legislation? A Global Perspective," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 10(4), pages 111-129, December.
    3. Christian Dreger & Manuel Artís & Rosina Moreno & Raúl Ramos & Jordi Suriñach, 2007. "Study on the feasibility of a tool to measure the macroeconomic impact of structural reforms," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 272, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    4. Giuseppe Bertola, 2004. "Creaking Labour Markets: Migrating into Unemployment?," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 5(3), pages 48-52, September.
    5. Alfonso Arpaia & Gilles Mourre, 2012. "Institutions And Performance In European Labour Markets: Taking A Fresh Look At Evidence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-41, February.
    6. Charles Grant & Winfried Koeniger, 2009. "Redistributive Taxation and Personal Bankruptcy in U.S. States," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(3), pages 445-467, August.
    7. Giuseppe Bertola, 2004. "Creaking Labour Markets: Migrating into Unemployment?," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 5(03), pages 48-52, September.
    8. Giuseppe Bertola, 2004. "Encrusted labour markets: The cause of more unemployment?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 57(17), pages 24-27, September.
    9. Serena Trucchi, 2011. "How credit markets affect homeownership: an explanation based on differences between Italian regions," CeRP Working Papers 122, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
    10. Mabbett, Deborah, 2004. "Fiscal stabilisers in Europe: the macroeconomic impact of tax and benefit systems," EUROMOD Working Papers EM7/04, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    11. B. Gabriela Mundaca & Jon Strand, 2005. "A risk allocation approach to optimal exchange rate policy," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 57(3), pages 398-421, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    liquidity constraints; redistribution;

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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