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Optimal Redistributive Income Taxation and Efficiency Wages

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  • Thomas Aronsson
  • Luca Micheletto

Abstract

In this paper, we integrate efficiency wage setting with the theory of optimal redistributive income taxation. In doing so, we use a model with two skill types, where efficiency wage setting characterizes the labor market faced by the low‐skilled, whereas the high‐skilled face a conventional, competitive labor market. We show that the marginal income tax implemented for the high‐skilled is negative under plausible assumptions. The marginal income tax facing the low‐skilled can be either positive or negative, in general. An increase in unemployment benefits contributes to a relaxation of the binding self‐selection constraint, which makes this instrument particularly useful from the perspective of redistribution.

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  • Thomas Aronsson & Luca Micheletto, 2021. "Optimal Redistributive Income Taxation and Efficiency Wages," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(1), pages 3-32, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:123:y:2021:i:1:p:3-32
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12386
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Holmberg, Johan, 2021. "Entrepreneurial Taxation with Endogenous Firm Entry and Unemployment," Umeå Economic Studies 994, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    2. Aronsson, Thomas & Johansson-Stenman, Olof, 2021. "A note on optimal taxation, status consumption, and unemployment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Spencer Bastani & Firouz Gahvari & Luca Micheletto, 2023. "Nonlinear taxation of income and education in the presence of income‐misreporting," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 25(4), pages 679-726, August.
    4. Thomas Aronsson & Spencer Bastani & Khayyam Tayibov, 2021. "Social Exclusion and Optimal Redistribution," CESifo Working Paper Series 9448, CESifo.
    5. Adriana Florina Popa & Stefania Amalia Jimon & Delia David & Daniela Nicoleta Sahlian, 2021. "Influence of Fiscal Policies and Labor Market Characteristics on Sustainable Social Insurance Budgets—Empirical Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, May.

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