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The Distribution of Earnings in Spain During the 1980s: The Effects of Skill, Unemployment and Union Power

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  • Arellano, Manuel
  • Bover, Olympia
  • Bentolila, Samuel

Abstract

In this Paper we analyse changes in the conditional distributions of male earnings in Spain during the 1980s. We use a large new database of records on individual workers and firms from the Spanish Social Security system for the period 1980-87. The data set is an unbalanced panel subject to censoring due to top and bottom coding. We analyse the behaviour of returns to skill and experience, across sectors and over time. We also study how these returns have been affected over the period by a host of aggregate and sector-specific factors, including unemployment rates and the sectoral coverage of trade union collective agreements.

Suggested Citation

  • Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia & Bentolila, Samuel, 2001. "The Distribution of Earnings in Spain During the 1980s: The Effects of Skill, Unemployment and Union Power," CEPR Discussion Papers 2770, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2770
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    Cited by:

    1. Mion, Giordano, 2004. "Spatial externalities and empirical analysis: the case of Italy," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 97-118, July.
    2. Juan J Dolado & Carlos Garcia--Serrano & Juan F. Jimeno, 2002. "Drawing Lessons From The Boom Of Temporary Jobs In Spain," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(721), pages 270-295, June.
    3. Angel de la Fuente & Antonio Ciccone, 2003. "Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 562.03, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    4. Aitor Lacuesta & Sergio Puente & Pilar Cuadrado, 2009. "Omitted variables in the measure of a labour quality index: the case of Spain," Working Papers 0835, Banco de España.
    5. Florentino Felgueroso & Manuel Hidalgo-Pérez & Sergi Jiménez-Martín, 2016. "The Puzzling Fall of the Wage Skill Premium in Spain," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 84(3), pages 390-435, June.
    6. Aitor Lacuesta & Mario Izquierdo, 2012. "The contribution of changes in employment composition and relative returns to the evolution of wage inequality: the case of Spain," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(2), pages 511-543, January.
    7. Jordi Galí & J David López-Salido, 2001. "A New Phillips curve for Spain," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Empirical studies of structural changes and inflation, volume 3, pages 174-203, Bank for International Settlements.
    8. Andrew Benito & Ignacio Hernando, 2003. "Labour demand, flexible contracts and financial factors: new evidence from Spain," Working Papers 0312, Banco de España.
    9. Juan J. Dolado & Marcel Jansen & Juan F. Jimeno, "undated". "A Matching Model of Crowding-Out and On-the-Job Search (with an application to Spain)," Working Papers 2002-16, FEDEA.
    10. Manuel A. Hidalgo, 2010. "A Demand-Supply Analysis Of The Spanish Education Wage Premium," Revista de Economia Aplicada, Universidad de Zaragoza, Departamento de Estructura Economica y Economia Publica, vol. 18(3), pages 57-78, Winter.
    11. Zühal Kurul & A. Yasemin Yalta, 2017. "Relationship between Institutional Factors and FDI Flows in Developing Countries: New Evidence from Dynamic Panel Estimation," Economies, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-10, May.
    12. Manuel Alejandro HIDALGO PEREZ, 2010. "Analysis of Education Wage Premium in Spain," Regional and Urban Modeling 284100020, EcoMod.
    13. Adela Luque & C.J. Krizan, 2009. "The Micro-Dynamics of Skill Mix Changes in a Dual Labor Market: The Spanish Manufacturing Experience," Working Papers 09-12, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings distributions; Returns to skill and experience; Unions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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