Decline in Wage Inequality in Brazil : A Survey

Firpo, Sergio ; Portella, Alysson

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: WAGE INEQUALITY;    INEQUALITY;    POVERTY;    SKILL PREMIUM;    INCOME DISTRIBUTION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-9096
RP-ID  :  WPS9096

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

In the last decades, Brazil experienceda historical decline in its wage inequality level,particularly in the first decade of the 21st century. Thispaper reviews the literature that attempted to explain theobserved pattern. It considers mechanisms related to thesupply and demand for labor, as well as institutionalfactors. The paper argues that the favorable economicenvironment in the period, combined with increases in theminimum wage, higher formalization, and a larger supply ofskilled workers led to a compression in wages. However, someaspects of the decline in wage inequality are stillunanswered, such as the causes behind a reduction in theexperience premium and interfirm payment heterogeneity, aswell as the exact role of technological changes. The paperconcludes by discussing future trends in wage inequality in Brazil.