A new model of income distribution: the κ-generalized distribution

This paper proposes a three-parameter statistical model of income distribution by exploiting recent developments on the use of deformed exponential and logarithm functions as suggested by Kaniadakis (Phys A 296:405–425, 2001; Phys Rev E 66:056125, 2002; Phys Rev E 72:036108, 2005). Formulas for the shape, moments and standard tools for inequality measurement are given. The model is shown to fit remarkably well the personal income data for Great Britain, Germany and the United States in different years, and its empirical performance appears to be competitive with that of other existing distributions.     

Barriers to entry, deregulation and workplace training: A theoretical model with evidence from Europe

We study the impact of regulatory barriers to entry on workplace training. We develop a model of training in imperfectly competitive product and labour markets. The model indicates that there are two contrasting effects of deregulation on training. As stressed in the literature, with a given number of firms, deregulation reduces the size of rents per unit of output that firms can reap by training their employees. Yet, the number of firms increases following deregulation, thereby raising output and profit gains from training and improving investment incentives. The latter effect prevails. In line with the predictions of the theoretical model, we find that the substantial deregulation in the 1990s of heavily regulated European industries (energy, transport and communication) increased training incidence.     

Does Attending a Catholic School Make a Difference? Evidence From Italy

This paper analyses whether attending a Catholic high school in Italy yields higher benefits in student achievement compared with enrolment at a public school. Because a measure of the success of a given high school might be how its students perform after leaving high school, our attention is focused on university participation and the risk of university dropout. We find that attending a Catholic school increases the likelihood of enrolling at university but has no effect on dropout behaviour. Additionally, our findings show that the source of the effectiveness of Catholic schools in boosting university participation does not lie in better resource availability, peer group influences or positive selection.