Interindustry Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics

Interindustry Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics PDF Author: William T. Dickens
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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This paper examines the extent of interindustry wage differences for nonunion workers and finds that even after controlling for a wide range of individual characteristics and geographic location a substantial amount of individual wage variation can be accounted for by industry differences. In the aggregate industry effects explain at least 6.7% of inter-personal wage variation. At most they explain 30%. While the importance of industry differences is clear, the reasons for the differences are more difficult to establish. Independent of the problems of interpreting the correlates of industry differences, even the sign of the relation of many variables with wages is difficult to establish when other variables are included as controls. This conclusion is suggested by a literature review and confirmed by an analysis of a large number of alternative specifications of an industry wage equation using individual wage data from the CPS and industry characteristics from a number of recent sources. Only industry average education and industry profitability have the same (positive) sign in every specification and in all the studies reviewed. Of these two only average education was nearly always significantly related to wages. Average establishment size had a nearly consistent positive relation. What does emerge from the analysis is a pattern of correlations. There appears to be one major dimension (and perhaps other less important dimensions) along which industries differ. A principal components analysis of an industry characteristics data set is used to demonstrate this. High wage industries have lower quit rates, higher labor productivity, fewer women, more educated workers, longer work weeks, a higher ratio of nonwage to wage compensation, higher unionization rates, larger establishments and firms, higher concentration ratios and are more profitable. An analysis of a limited number of industry characteristics in 1939 yields a similar pattern. The implications of these results for alternative theories of wage determination are considered.

Interindustry Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics

Interindustry Wage Differences and Industry Characteristics PDF Author: William T. Dickens
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This paper examines the extent of interindustry wage differences for nonunion workers and finds that even after controlling for a wide range of individual characteristics and geographic location a substantial amount of individual wage variation can be accounted for by industry differences. In the aggregate industry effects explain at least 6.7% of inter-personal wage variation. At most they explain 30%. While the importance of industry differences is clear, the reasons for the differences are more difficult to establish. Independent of the problems of interpreting the correlates of industry differences, even the sign of the relation of many variables with wages is difficult to establish when other variables are included as controls. This conclusion is suggested by a literature review and confirmed by an analysis of a large number of alternative specifications of an industry wage equation using individual wage data from the CPS and industry characteristics from a number of recent sources. Only industry average education and industry profitability have the same (positive) sign in every specification and in all the studies reviewed. Of these two only average education was nearly always significantly related to wages. Average establishment size had a nearly consistent positive relation. What does emerge from the analysis is a pattern of correlations. There appears to be one major dimension (and perhaps other less important dimensions) along which industries differ. A principal components analysis of an industry characteristics data set is used to demonstrate this. High wage industries have lower quit rates, higher labor productivity, fewer women, more educated workers, longer work weeks, a higher ratio of nonwage to wage compensation, higher unionization rates, larger establishments and firms, higher concentration ratios and are more profitable. An analysis of a limited number of industry characteristics in 1939 yields a similar pattern. The implications of these results for alternative theories of wage determination are considered.

A Theory of Inter-industry Wage Differentials

A Theory of Inter-industry Wage Differentials PDF Author: Julio Rotemberg
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Wages
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Inter-industry Wage Differences and Theories of Wage Determination

Inter-industry Wage Differences and Theories of Wage Determination PDF Author: William T. Dickens
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Labor economics
Languages : en
Pages : 39

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Book Description
Numerous studies have shown large differences in wages for apparently similar workers across industries. These findings pose a challenge to standard model s of labor market behavior. A problem with past studies of industry wage differences is that they have failed to distinguish between union and nonunion workers. Many economists may expect union workers wages to be set in a noncompetitive fashion but would be surprised if nonunion wages were. We examine the differences in wages across industries for both union and nonunion workers. We find that even after controlling for a wide range of personal characteristics and geographic location large wage differences persist for both union and nonunion workers. Furthermore the premiums of union and nonunion workers are highly correlated. We review past studies which demonstrate that industry wage premiums are also highly correlated across countries and have been very similar over many decades. We present new evidence that the wages of different occupations are highly correlated across industries -- that is if any occupation in an industry is highly paid all occupations are. We also review the evidence which suggests that people who move from low to high paying industries receive a large fraction of the industry wage premium and that those who move from high to low paying industries lose the premium. Finally, we review the evidence on the correlates of industry wage differences. Quit rates, human capital variables, capital labor ratios and market power measures are all positively correlated with industry wage differences individually though the data are not adequate to determine their independent contributions in multiple regression. On the basis of all the evidence we conclude that standard labor market clearing models can not easily explain all the facts. Several alternative models are discussed including efficiency wage and collective action threat mode1 s. These are found to be more consistent with the facts though some troubling problems remain

An Analysis of Inter-industry Wage Differentials

An Analysis of Inter-industry Wage Differentials PDF Author: Marion Smith Picard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Occupational mobility
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Determinants of Inter-industry Wage Differentials

Determinants of Inter-industry Wage Differentials PDF Author: Byung-Ju Lee
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ISBN:
Category : Industries
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Inter-industry Wage Differentials

Inter-industry Wage Differentials PDF Author: Per-Anders Edin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Wage differentials
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Inter-Industry Wage Differences and Individual Heterogeneity

Inter-Industry Wage Differences and Individual Heterogeneity PDF Author: Alan Carruth
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Two well-established findings are apparent in the analyses of individual wage determination: cross-section wage equations can account for less than half of the variance in earnings and there are large and persistent inter-industry wage differentials. We explore these two empirical regularities using longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). We show that around 90% of the variation in earnings can be explained by observed and unobserved individual characteristics. However, small - but statistically significant - industry wage premia do remain, and there is also a role for a rich set of job and workplace controls.

Interindustry Wage Differentials and Efficiency Wages

Interindustry Wage Differentials and Efficiency Wages PDF Author: Surendra Gera
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ISBN:
Category : Unemployment
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Unobserved Ability, Efficiency Wages, and Interindustry Wage Differentials

Unobserved Ability, Efficiency Wages, and Interindustry Wage Differentials PDF Author: McKinley L. Blackburn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ability
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Interindustry wage differentials in wage regressions estimated for individuals have been interpreted as evidence consistent with efficiency wage models. A principal competing explanation is that these differentials are generated by differences across workers in unobserved ability. This paper tests the unobserved ability hypothesis .by incorporating test scores into standard wage regressions as error-ridden indicators of unobserved ability. The results indicate that differences in unobserved ability explain relatively little of interindustry or interoccupation wage differentials.

Does Unmeasured Ability Explain Inter-industry Wage Differences?

Does Unmeasured Ability Explain Inter-industry Wage Differences? PDF Author: Robert Gibbons
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Wages
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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