Arbeitspapier

The equality multiplier: How wage setting and welfare spending make similar countries diverge

The complementarity between wage setting and welfare spending can explain how almost equally rich countries differ in economic and social equality among their citizens. More wage equality increases the welfare generosity via political competition in elections. A more generous welfare state fuels wage equality via an empowerment of weak groups in the labor market. Together the two effects generate a cumulative process that adds up to a social multiplier explaining how equality multiplies. Using data on 18 OECD countries over the period 1976-2002 (determined by the availability of the generosity index of welfare spending) we test the main predictions of the model and identify a sizeable magnitude of the equality multiplier. We obtain additional support by using spending data to extend the panel up to 2007, and by applying another data set for the US over the period 1945-2001.

Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 6494

Klassifikation
Wirtschaft
National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
General Welfare; Well-Being
Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
Thema
welfare state
wage inequality
Soziale Gerechtigkeit
Soziale Ungleichheit
Öffentliche Sozialausgaben
Lohnstruktur
OECD-Staaten

Ereignis
Geistige Schöpfung
(wer)
Barth, Erling
Moene, Karl Ove
Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wer)
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
(wo)
Bonn
(wann)
2012

Handle
URN
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2012080812379
Letzte Aktualisierung
10.03.2025, 11:43 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. Bei Fragen zum Objekt wenden Sie sich bitte an den Datenpartner.

Objekttyp

  • Arbeitspapier

Beteiligte

  • Barth, Erling
  • Moene, Karl Ove
  • Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Entstanden

  • 2012

Ähnliche Objekte (12)