The evolution of the earnings distribution in a volatile economy: Evidence from Argentina

B-Tier
Journal: Quantitative Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 13
Issue: 4
Pages: 1361-1403

Authors (5)

Andrés Blanco (not in RePEc) Bernardo Diaz de Astarloa (not in RePEc) Andres Drenik (not in RePEc) Christian Moser (National Bureau of Economic Re...) Danilo R. Trupkin (Universidad de San Andrés)

Score contribution per author:

0.402 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper studies earnings inequality and dynamics in Argentina between 1996 and 2015. Following the 2001–2002 crisis, the Argentine economy transitioned from a low‐ to a high‐inflation regime, while collective bargaining and the minimum wage gained influence. This transition was associated with a persistent decrease in earnings dispersion and cyclical movements in higher‐order moments of the distribution of earnings changes. To shed light on the changing nature of wage rigidity during this period, we develop a new method to estimate regular‐wage processes. As the Argentine economy transitioned from low to high inflation, the monthly frequency of regular‐wage changes almost doubled, while the distribution of regular‐wage changes morphed from having a mode around zero and positive skewness to having a positive mode and more symmetric tails.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:quante:v:13:y:2022:i:4:p:1361-1403
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-26