Income inequality, productivity, and international trade
This paper discusses the effect of income inequality on selection and aggregate productivity in a general equilibrium model with non-homothetic preferences. It shows the existence of a negative relationship between the number and quantity of products consumed by an income group and the earnings of o...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soe_research/2188 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soe_research/article/3187/viewcontent/monopolistic_income_DP_07112018_.pdf |
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| Institution: | Singapore Management University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | This paper discusses the effect of income inequality on selection and aggregate productivity in a general equilibrium model with non-homothetic preferences. It shows the existence of a negative relationship between the number and quantity of products consumed by an income group and the earnings of other income groups. It also highlights the negative effect of a mean-preserving spread of income on aggregate productivity through the softening of firms’ selection. This effect is however mitigated in the presence of international trade. In a quantitative analysis, it is shown that an excessively large mean-preserving spread of income may harm the rich as it raises firms’ markups on their purchases. This is contrary to the general belief that income inequality benefits the rich. |
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