Working Time Regulation, Unequal Lifetimes and Fairness

Arbeitspapier

We examine the redistributive impact of working time regulations in an economy with unequal lifetimes. We first compare the laissez-faire equilibrium with the ex post egalitarian optimum, where the realized lifetime well-being of the worst o§ (usually the short-lived) is maximized, and show that, unlike the laissez-faire, this social optimum involves an increasing working time age profile and equalizes the realized lifetime well-being of the short-lived and the long-lived. We then examine whether working time regulations can compensate the short-lived. It is shown that uniform working time regulations cannot improve the situation of the short-lived with respect to the laissez-faire, and can only reduce well-being inequalities at the cost of making the short-lived worse o§. However, age-specific regulations involving lower working time for the young and higher working time for the old make the short-lived better o§, even though such regulations may not fully eradicate well-being inequalities.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Document de travail ; No. 2018-09

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Leroux, Marie-Louise ; Ponthiere, Gregory
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Université du Québec à Montréal, École des sciences de la gestion (ESG UQAM), Département des sciences économiques
• (where): Montréal
• (when): 2018

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/234764
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET