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Income Mobility, Inequality and Social Welfare

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  • John Creedy
  • Mark Wilhelm

Abstract

It is often argued that an observation of rising annual income inequality need not have negative normative implications. The argument is that if there has been a sufficiently large simultaneous increase in mobility, the inequality of income measured over a longer time period can be lower despite the rise in annual inequality. In this paper, it is shown by example that if normative implications are drawn from a standard social welfare function, the set of circumstances put forward in the above argument are not sufficient to guarantee that social welfare will improve. The reason is that even though rising mobility does reduce longer term inequality, it also increases the variability of income profiles over time and the latter has a detrimental social welfare effect. Hence, there are two types of mobility: one which reduces inequality (regression to the mean), but another that increases inequality (relative movements uncorrelated with incomes). Further, if individuals’ aversion to income variabiltiy is sufficiently larger than the social welfare judge’s aversion to inequality, then an increase in mobility, no matter how large, cannot offset the negative normative effect of rising annual inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • John Creedy & Mark Wilhelm, 2002. "Income Mobility, Inequality and Social Welfare," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 140-150, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausecp:v:41:y:2002:i:2:p:140-150
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8454.00155
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    Cited by:

    1. John Creedy & Elin Halvorsen & Thor O. Thoresen, 2013. "Inequality Comparisons In A Multi-Period Framework: The Role Of Alternative Welfare Metrics," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 59(2), pages 235-249, June.
    2. Sologon, Denisa Maria & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2009. "Equalizing or Disequalizing Lifetime Earnings Differentials? Earnings Mobility in the EU: 1994-2001," IZA Discussion Papers 4642, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Sologon, Denisa Maria & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2009. "Increased Opportunity to Move Up the Economic Ladder? Earnings Mobility in EU: 1994-2001," IZA Discussion Papers 4311, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Sami Bibi & Jean-Yves Duclos & Abdelkrim Araar, 2014. "Mobility, taxation and welfare," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 42(3), pages 503-527, March.
    5. Denisa Maria Sologon & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2011. "Earnings Mobility in Europe: 1994-2001 : Do more flexible labour markets experience a higher earnings mobility?," MERIT Working Papers 2011-070, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Antonio Abatemarco, 2017. "Evaluating Economic Mobility under Opportunity Egalitarianism," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(12), pages 260-277, December.
    7. Denisa Maria Sologon & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2011. "Shaping earnings instability: labour market policy and institutional factors," MERIT Working Papers 2011-077, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. Florent Bresson & Jean-Yves Duclos & Flaviana Palmisano, 2019. "Intertemporal pro-poorness," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 52(1), pages 65-96, January.
    9. Dirk Van de gaer & Flaviana Palmisano, 2018. "Growth, Mobility and Social Welfare," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 988, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    10. Ilpo Suoniemi, 2013. "Permanent income, redistribution and income risk: Empirical analysis on the role of age and social protection benefits (ESSPROS) using Finnish Panel data in 1995–2008," Working Papers 286, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    11. Van de gaer, Dirk & Palmisano, Flaviana, 2021. "Growth, mobility and social progress," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 164-182.
    12. Ilpo Suoniemi, 2012. "Income mobility, income risk and age – Finnish experiences in 1995–2008," Working Papers 276, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    13. John Creedy & Elin Halvorsen & Thor O. Thoresen, 2013. "Inequality Comparisons In A Multi-Period Framework: The Role Of Alternative Welfare Metrics," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 59(2), pages 235-249, June.
    14. Boris Cournède & Paula Garda & Volker Ziemann, 2015. "Effects of Economic Policies on Microeconomic Stability," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1201, OECD Publishing.

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