Unequal opportunity, unequal growth

"This paper argues that inequality can be both good and bad for growth, depending on what inequality and whose growth. Unequal societies may be holding back one segment of the population while helping another. Similarly, high levels of income inequality may be due to a variety of different fact...

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Main Authors: Marrero, Gustavo A., Rodriguez, Juan Gabriel, van der Weide, Roy
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC 2016
World Bank
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-964712478299-unequal-opportunity,-unequal-g.htm
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author Marrero, Gustavo A.
Rodriguez, Juan Gabriel
van der Weide, Roy
author_facet Marrero, Gustavo A.
Rodriguez, Juan Gabriel
van der Weide, Roy
collection Library items
description "This paper argues that inequality can be both good and bad for growth, depending on what inequality and whose growth. Unequal societies may be holding back one segment of the population while helping another. Similarly, high levels of income inequality may be due to a variety of different factors; some of these may be good while others may be bad for growth. The paper tests this hypothesis by “unpacking” both inequality and growth. Total inequality is decomposed into inequality of opportunity, due to observed factors that are beyond the individual's control, and residual inequality. Growth is measured at different steps of the income ladder to verify whether low, middle, and top income households fare differently in societies with high (low) levels of inequality. In an application to the United States covering 1960 to 2010, the paper finds that inequality of opportunity is particularly bad for growth of the poor. When inequality of opportunity is controlled for, the importance of total income inequality is dramatically reduced. These results are robust to different measures of inequality of opportunity and econometric methods."
format TEXT
id 964712478299_683fb9e35a864570b88c782e0bf68d56
institution ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
is_hierarchy_id 964712478299_683fb9e35a864570b88c782e0bf68d56
is_hierarchy_title Unequal opportunity, unequal growth
language English
physical 36 p.
Digital
publishDate 2016
publisher Washington, DC
World Bank
spellingShingle Marrero, Gustavo A.
Rodriguez, Juan Gabriel
van der Weide, Roy
econometrics
economic growth
income distribution
social inequality
Unequal opportunity, unequal growth
thumbnail https://www.labourline.org/Image_prev.jpg?Archive=105787992396
title Unequal opportunity, unequal growth
topic econometrics
economic growth
income distribution
social inequality
url https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-964712478299-unequal-opportunity,-unequal-g.htm