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Quantile Regression under Misspecification, with an Application to the U.S. Wage Structure

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Author Info
Joshua Angrist
Victor Chernozhukov
Iván Fernández-Val

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Abstract

Quantile regression (QR) fits a linear model for conditional quantiles just as ordinary least squares (OLS) fits a linear model for conditional means. An attractive feature of OLS is that it gives the minimum mean-squared error linear approximation to the conditional expectation function even when the linear model is misspecified. Empirical research using quantile regression with discrete covariates suggests that QR may have a similar property, but the exact nature of the linear approximation has remained elusive. In this paper, we show that QR minimizes a weighted mean-squared error loss function for specification error. The weighting function is an average density of the dependent variable near the true conditional quantile. The weighted least squares interpretation of QR is used to derive an omitted variables bias formula and a partial quantile regression concept, similar to the relationship between partial regression and OLS. We also present asymptotic theory for the QR process under misspecification of the conditional quantile function. The approximation properties of QR are illustrated using wage data from the U.S. census. These results point to major changes in inequality from 1990 to 2000. Copyright The Econometric Society 2006.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1468-0262.2006.00671.x
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Publisher Info
Article provided by Econometric Society in its journal Econometrica.

Volume (Year): 74 (2006)
Issue (Month): 2 (03)
Pages: 539-563
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Handle: RePEc:ecm:emetrp:v:74:y:2006:i:2:p:539-563

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Hansen, Lars Peter & Heaton, John & Yaron, Amir, 1996. "Finite-Sample Properties of Some Alternative GMM Estimators," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 14(3), pages 262-80, July.
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  3. Powell, James L, 1986. "Symmetrically Trimmed Least Squares Estimation for Tobit Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(6), pages 1435-60, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Koenker, Roger W & Bassett, Gilbert, Jr, 1978. "Regression Quantiles," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 33-50, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. White, Halbert, 1980. "Using Least Squares to Approximate Unknown Regression Functions," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 21(1), pages 149-70, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. José Mata & José A. F. Machado, 2005. "Counterfactual decomposition of changes in wage distributions using quantile regression," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(4), pages 445-465. [Downloadable!]
  8. Chamberlain, Gary, 1984. "Panel data," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 22, pages 1247-1318 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Gosling, Amanda & Machin, Stephen & Meghir, Costas, 2000. "The Changing Distribution of Male Wages in the U.K," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 67(4), pages 635-66, October.
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  11. Juhn, Chinhui & Murphy, Kevin M & Pierce, Brooks, 1993. "Wage Inequality and the Rise in Returns to Skill," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(3), pages 410-42, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Halbert White & Tae-Hwan Kim, 2002. "Estimation, Inference, and Specification Testing for Possibly Misspecified Quantile Regression," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series 2002-09, Department of Economics, UC San Diego. [Downloadable!]
  13. Roger Koenker & Kevin F. Hallock, 2001. "Quantile Regression," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 143-156, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Roger Koenker & Zhijie Xiao, 2002. "Inference on the Quantile Regression Process," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(4), pages 1583-1612, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Hahn, Jinyong, 1997. "Bayesian Bootstrap of the Quantile Regression Estimator: A Large Sample Study," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 38(4), pages 795-808, November.
  16. Moshe Buchinsky & Jinyong Hahn, 1998. "An Alternative Estimator for the Censored Quantile Regression Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 66(3), pages 653-672, May.
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  1. Michael C. Burda & Bernd Fitzenberger & Alexander Lembcke & Thorsten Vogel, 2008. "Unionization, Stochastic Dominance, and Compression of the Wage Distribution: Evidence from Germany," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2008-041, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  2. Shabbar Jaffry & Yaseen Ghulam & Vyoma Shah, 2007. "Returns to Education in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 46(4), pages 833-852. [Downloadable!]
  3. Bargain, Olivier & Kwenda, Prudence, 2009. "The Informal Sector Wage Gap: New Evidence Using Quantile Estimations on Panel Data," IZA Discussion Papers 4286, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Jose A. F. Machado & J. M. C. Santos Silva, 2008. "Quantiles for Fractions and Other Mixed Data," Economics Discussion Papers 656, University of Essex, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  5. Boudarbat, Brahim & Lemieux, Thomas & Riddell, Craig, 2008. "The Evolution of the Returns to Human Capital in Canada, 1980-2006," UBC Departmental Archives craig_riddell-2008-15, UBC Department of Economics, revised 22 Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Victor Chernozhukov & Ivan Fernandez-Val & Blaise Melly, 2009. "Inference on counterfactual distributions," CeMMAP working papers CWP09/09, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. David H. Autor & Lawrence F. Katz & Melissa S. Kearney, 2005. "Rising Wage Inequality: The Role of Composition and Prices," NBER Working Papers 11628, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Bargain, Olivier & Melly, Blaise, 2008. "Public Sector Pay Gap in France: New Evidence Using Panel Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3427, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. Juan Carlos Escanciano & Carlos Velasco, 2008. "Specification Tests of Parametric Dynamic Conditional Quantiles," Caepr Working Papers 2008-021, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Economics Department, Indiana University Bloomington. [Downloadable!]
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