The Evolution of Inequality in Productivity and Wages: Panel Data Evidence

66 Pages Posted: 27 Aug 2007 Last revised: 26 Jun 2022

See all articles by Giulia Faggio

Giulia Faggio

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP)

Kjell G. Salvanes

Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) - Department of Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

John Van Reenen

London School of Economics - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP); Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: August 2007

Abstract

There has been a remarkable increase in wage inequality in the US, UK and many other countries over the past three decades. A significant part of this appears to be within observable groups (such as age-gender-skill cells). A generally untested implication of many theories rationalizing the growth of within-group inequality is that firm-level productivity dispersion should also have increased. The relevant data for the US is problematic, so we utilize a UK panel dataset covering the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors since the early 1980s. We find evidence that productivity inequality has increased. Existing studies have underestimated this increased dispersion because they use data from the manufacturing sector which has been in rapid decline. Most of the increase in individual wage inequality has occurred because of an increase in inequality between firms (and within industries). Increased productivity dispersion appears to be linked with new technologies as suggested by models such as Caselli (1999) and is not primarily due to an increase in transitory shocks, greater sorting or entry/exit dynamics.

Suggested Citation

Faggio, Giulia and Salvanes, Kjell G. and Van Reenen, John Michael, The Evolution of Inequality in Productivity and Wages: Panel Data Evidence (August 2007). NBER Working Paper No. w13351, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1009801

Giulia Faggio (Contact Author)

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) ( email )

Houghton Street
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Kjell G. Salvanes

Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) - Department of Economics ( email )

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Norway
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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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John Michael Van Reenen

London School of Economics - Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) ( email )

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Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) ( email )

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+44 20 7240 6740 (Phone)
+44 20 7240 6136 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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