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Changes in Working Hours Are Driving Earnings Inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Mattis Beckmannshagen
  • Carsten Schröder

Abstract

According to Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data, inequality in gross monthly earnings in Germany increased significantly between 1993 and 2003 and has been stagnating at a high level since 2008. As this Weekly Report shows, the increase is not being driven by higher hourly wage inequality, but rather by working hours: In recent years, employees with a high hourly wage work more than previously compared to employees with a low hourly wage. In particular, this applies to two groups whose share of the workforce has increased significantly in recent years: employed women and service sector employees. Had employees been able to work their desired number of hours, the rise in inequality would have been more moderate. A better work-life balance and more opportunities to increase working hours in the low-wage sector could counteract this trend.

Suggested Citation

  • Mattis Beckmannshagen & Carsten Schröder, 2022. "Changes in Working Hours Are Driving Earnings Inequality," DIW Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 12(32/33/34), pages 195-201.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwdwr:dwr12-32-1
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    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.849932.de/dwr-22-32-1.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniele Checchi & Cecilia Garcia-Peñalosa & Lara Vivian, 2022. "Hours Inequality," Working Papers hal-03872764, HAL.
    2. Marta Lachowska & Alexandre Mas & Raffaele Saggio & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2023. "Work Hours Mismatch," NBER Working Papers 31205, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Stüber, Heiko & Grabka, Markus M. & Schnitzlein, Daniel D., 2023. "A tale of two data sets: comparing German administrative and survey data using wage inequality as an example," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 57, pages 1-8.
    4. Mattis Beckmannshagen & Rick Glaubitz, 2023. "Is There a Desired Added Worker Effect?: Evidence from Involuntary Job Losses," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1200, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    5. Dütsch Matthias & Altun Orkun & Grundmann Luisa & Himmelreicher Ralf, 2023. "What Does the German Minimum Wage Do? The Impact of the Introduction of the Statutory Minimum Wage on the Composition of Low- and Minimum-Wage Labour," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 243(3-4), pages 355-396, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings inequality; Working hours; Hours mismatch; Part-time work; Decomposition analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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