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Rising wealth inequality: Intergenerational links, entrepreneurship, and the decline in interest rate

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  • İmrohoroğlu, Ayşe
  • Zhao, Kai

Abstract

The share of wealth held by the top one percent of Americans has increased from about 24% in 1980 to 40% in 2010. This paper examines the role played by the decline in the world interest rates in accounting for this observation. Our model consists of households who either run a business or work for others. In this environment, the decline in the interest rate increases wealth inequality since entrepreneurs benefit from lower financing costs while workers face lower returns. This channel can account for over 60 percent of the increase in the top wealth shares in the data.

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  • İmrohoroğlu, Ayşe & Zhao, Kai, 2022. "Rising wealth inequality: Intergenerational links, entrepreneurship, and the decline in interest rate," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 86-104.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:127:y:2022:i:c:p:86-104
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2022.02.005
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    2. Wu, Bangzheng & Yue, Pengpeng & Zuo, Shengqiang, 2023. "Borrow to be the poor or the rich? It depends: Credit market and wealth accumulation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 804-821.
    3. Matthieu Gomez & Émilien Gouin‐Bonenfant, 2024. "Wealth Inequality in a Low Rate Environment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 92(1), pages 201-246, January.

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