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L’évolution des inégalités dans les pays industrialisés : le point sur la situation

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  • Lemieux, Thomas

    (University of British Columbia)

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the changes in wage inequality in industrialized countries. The paper first presents a number of stylized facts about the evolution of wage inequality in Canada, the United States, and the large European economies. A key pattern that comes out of the data is that the growth in inequality has been concentrated in the upper-end of the wage distribution in recent years. Several explanations ranging from the introduction of information and communication technologies to labour market institutions are considered as possible explanations for these changes. The paper concludes that the growth in inequality cannot be accounted for by a single causal explanation such as technological change. A more promising approach for explaining the changes in wage inequality in industrialized countries is rather based on a number of causal factors coming from the demand and the institutional side of the labour market. Cette étude vise à faire le point sur la situation de l’évolution des inégalités de salaire dans les pays industrialisés. Après avoir brossé un tableau d’ensemble et présenté quelques faits stylisés quant à l’évolution des inégalités au Canada, aux États-Unis et dans les grandes économies européennes, nous montrerons que le caractère dominant des changements récents est la concentration de la croissance des inégalités dans la partie supérieure de la distribution des salaires. Nous discuterons ensuite plusieurs explications possibles pour les changements observés allant des technologies de l’information et des communications aux institutions du marché du travail, pour ensuite conclure que la croissance des inégalités ne peut être attribuée à une cause unique comme les changements technologiques. C’est plutôt une approche basée sur un ensemble de facteurs du côté de la demande de travail et des institutions qui semble la plus à même d’expliquer l’évolution des inégalités de salaire dans les pays industrialisés.

Suggested Citation

  • Lemieux, Thomas, 2008. "L’évolution des inégalités dans les pays industrialisés : le point sur la situation," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 84(3), pages 241-262, septembre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:actuec:v:84:y:2008:i:3:p:241-262
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