Decomposing Gender Wage Differentials in Urban Ethiopia: Evidence from Linked Employer–Employee (LEE) Manufacturing Survey Data

Abstract

This study estimates the magnitude of gender wage differentials for a sample of workers from the Ethiopian manufacturing sector using the traditional Oaxaca–Blinder and an augmented Cotton–Neumark methodologies. In doing so, it separates part of the estimated log of gender wage differential explained by differences in human capital characteristics between men and women from that which is not explained by such differences. The latter is known in the literature as “treatment” component or “discrimination” due to differing pay structures for the two gender groups. Accordingly, it is found that in Ethiopia's manufacturing sector men on average get up to 30% more than women depending on the measure used. However, once we control for a number of individual and establishment level characteristics, the level of wage premium for men over women is close to 5% or around 12 Ethiopian cents per hour. Out of this, both decomposition procedures estimate that close to 60% of the premium is a result of discrimination (different treatment of men and women in the labour market). Using an augmented decomposition technique, it is found that out of the 60% “discrimination component” close to 13% is due to men's treatment advantage in the labour market and the remaining 47% is due to women's treatment disadvantage. Also it is found that firm level characteristics are important contributors to the total discrimination component. Without controlling for establishment level characteristics, the discrimination component would have been around 27% indicating that ignoring establishment characteristics in decomposition exercises would result into a biased estimation, and in this case it would have underestimated the level of discrimination by close to 50%.     

城镇化进程中农民工就业稳定性及工资差距

在我国城乡统筹加速发展的背景下,本文对农民工短工化以及由此导致的工资差距展开分析。在修正劳动参与和短工化的样本选择问题基础上,使用分位数回归方法估计农民工工资,并且使用MM方法对短期和长期农民工的工资差距进行分解。结果显示,高学历、有培训经历、在本地以及通过亲缘关系和正规劳动力市场寻找工作的人,获得长期合同的可能性较高;地区和教育对农民工工资的贡献较大;两种合同类型的农民工在工资分布的底端存在较大差距,农民工的工资差距存在粘性地板效应。这些结论对于促进农民工稳定就业,提高收入分配公平程度,加快城镇化进程,平衡区域间发展等方面的政策制定都有重要的借鉴意义。     

公共服务增量供给不平等测度与分解

中国目前公共服务不平等是常年累积的结果,而公共服务均等化政策旨在通过对增量供给的调整来逐步改善公共服务现状。本文用一般预算收支决算总表中“本年支出合计”数据反映“公共服务增量供给”,将计划单列市单独考虑从而扩大样本至36个,测算比较户籍、常住不同口径下基尼系数、广义熵指数的差别,并进一步按“城市型、城乡型地区”、“经济发达、欠发达地区”子样本和按支出分项分解不平等。研究发现：目前公共服务增量供给不平等程度依然很高;户籍口径公共服务增量供给不平等远大于常住口径,且这种现象被掩盖;2007年以来的公共服务均等化政策降低了公共服务增量供给不平等度,但这种作用有减弱趋势,这值得“均等化”政策制定者和执行者警惕。     

Fertility,social mobility and long run inequality

Dynastic altruistic models with endogenous fertility have been shown to be unable to generate enough intergenerational persistence. Using a Bewley model with endogenous fertility we show that it is possible to recover persistence. Key ingredients for our result include exponential child discounting, discrete number of children, diminishing costs of child rearing, and an elasticity of intergenerational substitution larger than one. Our model provides a unified framework of analysis for long-run inequality that incorporates fertility choices.     

要素流动、城市定位与区域经济发展——以上海及其周边为例

文章从综合劳动生产率、金融服务业和工业的劳动生产率以及工资率的角度探讨浙江、江苏和上海各自的产业定位,最后的结论是这种产业定位必须打破各地区之间的行政壁垒,开放区域内的生产要素,才能形成区域经济的协同发展,这对珠三角、渤海经济圈以及中部地带等等区域经济中心的发展具有重要的借鉴意义。     

The inequality-credit nexus

This paper explores the inequality-credit nexus from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. The paper develops an overlapping generation model in which the effect of income inequality on private credit depends on the countries’ per capita income and on the quality of laws protecting creditor rights. The model predicts that greater inequality leads to higher levels of private credit in countries with low per capita incomes and weak legal rights, while this effect is ambiguous or negative in economies with higher aggregate income and stronger credit protection. Using a panel dataset of 155 countries over the 1982–2015 period, the paper shows empirical evidence that is robust and consistent with the model’s predictions. The paper’s major finding suggests a credit channel through which inequality may affect economic outcomes.     

Alternative approaches to discrete working time choice in an AGE framework

We compare two options of integrating discrete working time choice of heterogenous households into a general equilibrium model. The first, known from the literature, produces household heterogeneity through a working time preference parameter. We contrast this with a model that directly incorporates a logit discrete-choice approach into an AGE framework. On the grounds of both calibration consistency and adequate accommodation of within-household interaction, we argue that the logit approach is preferable.     

State of the “life span revolution” between 1980 and 2000

Using data for 163 countries, state of the “life span revolution” over the period 1980–2000 is studied in terms of measures of cross-country inequality and through least-squares and quantile-regression estimation of simple convergence models. Four main points are noted. First, dynamics of the cross-country distribution of life expectancy during these 20 years seem markedly different from those for the preceding decades: instead of the sharp “convergence” noted until the 1980s, there is lack of convergence and an indication of “divergence”. Second, the divergence is particularly marked during the 1990s. Third, spread of HIV/AIDS has probably been a significant factor in generating divergence during the 1990s. Fourth, besides the sizable temporal heterogeneity, quantile-regression estimates of convergence models reveal a substantial heterogeneity across the top and the bottom quartiles within each period.     

International competition, downsizing and wage inequality

A country with Cournot competition and free entry experiences an increase of its market size either due to economic growth or international integration of its goods markets. This implied increase in competition leads to shrinking mark-ups and forces firms to reduce overhead costs relative to output. This implies a reallocation at the aggregate level from administrative to productive activities. Relative factor rewards change and wage inequality increases. The factor which loses in relative terms can even lose in real terms. From a quantitative perspective, international competition is demonstrated to be the more plausible cause of rising wage inequality.     

Regional wage convergence in Spain 1850–1930

This paper presents a new regional database on real wages for Spain from 1850 to 1930. This evidence is used to analyze the evolution of wages across regions and occupations. Substantial wage convergence occurred from 1850 to 1914, despite low rates of internal migration. World War I and the subsequent globalization backlash were associated with a spectacular increase in wage differentials. However, real wage convergence across Spanish provinces resumed during the 1920s, this time accompanied by high rates of internal migration.