IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/pubfin/v16y1988i1p101-128.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Recessions on Two-Parent Families: An Analysis of Earnings-Sensitivity by Family Income Class

Author

Listed:
  • W. Rayack

    (Wesleyan University)

Abstract

This article uses a microunit analysis to examine cyclical changes in the distribution of earnings. The analysis departs from earlier studies in several respects. It relies on a more cautious definition of family income class, calculates recession-induced changes in the Gini coefficient by estimating losses for each household in the sample, and measures the distributional effects of cyclical changes in wage rates. The procedures guard against a bias toward findings of regressivity. Yet the results indicate a generally regressive pattern that is complicated by substantial losses among certain high-wage categories. At the same time, the approach identifies several channels through which losses are distributed. Specifically, the analysis links the pattern of losses to allocation rules based on occupation and tenure status. Moreover, the results indicate that wage-decay effects reinforce the regressive tendencies. These tenure and wage effects have not received attention in prior empirical studies of recession incidence although theory suggests that they play a major role.

Suggested Citation

  • W. Rayack, 1988. "The Impact of Recessions on Two-Parent Families: An Analysis of Earnings-Sensitivity by Family Income Class," Public Finance Review, , vol. 16(1), pages 101-128, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:16:y:1988:i:1:p:101-128
    DOI: 10.1177/109114218801600105
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/109114218801600105
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/109114218801600105?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Okun, Arthur M, 1978. "Efficient Disinflationary Policies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(2), pages 348-352, May.
    2. Taylor, John B, 1984. "Recent Changes in Macro Policy and Its Effects: Some Time-Series Evidence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(2), pages 206-210, May.
    3. Thad W. Mirer, 1973. "The Effects Of Macroeconomic Fluctuations On The Distribution Of Income," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 19(4), pages 385-405, December.
    4. Beach, Charles M, 1977. "Cyclical Sensitivity of Aggregate Income Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 59(1), pages 56-66, February.
    5. Blinder, Alan S & Esaki, Howard Y, 1978. "Macroeconomic Activity and Income Distribution in the Postwar United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 60(4), pages 604-609, November.
    6. Robert J. Gordon & Stephen R. King, 1982. "The Output Cost of Disinflation in Traditional and Vector Autoregressive Models," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 13(1), pages 205-244.
    7. Wachter, Michael L, 1970. "Cyclical Variation in the Interindustry Wage Structure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 75-84, March.
    8. Bils, Mark J, 1985. "Real Wages over the Business Cycle: Evidence from Panel Data," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(4), pages 666-689, August.
    9. Lee Soltow, 1969. "Six Papers on the Size Distribution of Wealth and Income," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number solt69-1.
    10. repec:bla:revinw:v:19:y:1973:i:4:p:385-406 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Melvin W. Reder, 1969. "A Partial Survey of the Theory of Income Size Distribution," NBER Chapters, in: Six Papers on the Size Distribution of Wealth and Income, pages 205-250, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Edward M. Gramlich, 1974. "The Distributional Effects of Higher Unemployment," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 5(2), pages 293-342.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gustavo A. Marrero & Juan G. Rodriguez, 2012. "Macroeconomic determinants of inequality of opportunity and effort in the US: 1970-2009," Working Papers 249, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    2. Oguzhan C. Dincer & Burak Gunalp, 2012. "Corruption And Income Inequality In The United States," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 30(2), pages 283-292, April.
    3. Manoel BITTENCOURT, 2009. "Macroeconomic Performance And Inequality: Brazil, 1983–94," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 47(1), pages 30-52, March.
    4. Sophia Dimelis & Alexandra Livada, 1999. "Inequality and business cycles in the U.S. and European Union countries," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 5(3), pages 321-338, August.
    5. Rebecca M. Blank & Alan S. Blinder, 1985. "Macroeconomics, Income Distribution, and Poverty," NBER Working Papers 1567, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Franco Modigliani & Lucas Papademos, 1978. "Optimal demand policies against stagflation," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 114(4), pages 736-782, December.
    7. James J. Heckman, 2019. "The Race Between Demand and Supply: Tinbergen’s Pioneering Studies of Earnings Inequality," De Economist, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 243-258, September.
    8. Henry, Peter B., 2000. "Is Disinflation Good for Growth?," Research Papers 1657, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    9. Goutsmedt, Aurélien & Pinzón-Fuchs, Erich & Sergi, Francesco & Renault, Matthieu, 2019. "Reacting to the Lucas Critique: The Keynesians' Replies," OSF Preprints qxh46, Center for Open Science.
    10. Cysne, Rubens Penha, 2004. "Towards a measure of income inequality freed from the volatility caused by variations in the rate of unemployment," FGV EPGE Economics Working Papers (Ensaios Economicos da EPGE) 560, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil).
    11. Owyang, Michael T. & Ramey, Garey, 2004. "Regime switching and monetary policy measurement," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 1577-1597, November.
    12. Ravindra H. Dholakia & Kadiyala Sri Virinchi, 2017. "How Costly is the Deliberate Disinflation in India? Estimating the Sacrifice Ratio," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 15(1), pages 27-44, March.
    13. Dholakia, Ravindra H. & Kadiyala Sri Virinchi, 2015. "How Costly is the Deliberate Disinflation in India? Estimating the Sacrifice Ratio," IIMA Working Papers WP2015-08-01, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    14. Robert J. Gordon, 2011. "The History of the Phillips Curve: Consensus and Bifurcation," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 78(309), pages 10-50, January.
    15. Maarten C.W. Janssen, 2000. "Catching Hipo's: Screening, Wages and Unemployment," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 00-028/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    16. Alan S. Blinder & Irving Kristol & Wilbur J. Cohen, 1980. "The Level and Distribution of Economic Well-Being," NBER Chapters, in: The American Economy in Transition, pages 415-500, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Francis Leni Anguyo & Rangan Gupta & Kevin Kotzé, 2020. "Monetary policy and financial frictions in a small open-economy model for Uganda," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1213-1241, September.
    18. Juncal Cunado Eizaguirre & Fernando Pérez de Gracía Hidalgo, "undated". "Tasa de sacrificio en la UEM: Un análisis empírico," Studies on the Spanish Economy 70, FEDEA.
    19. Douglas A. Hibbs, Jr., 1982. "Public Concern about Inflation and Unemployment in the United States: Trends, Correlates, and Political Implications," NBER Chapters, in: Inflation: Causes and Effects, pages 211-232, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Cecchetti, Stephen G & Rich, Robert W, 2001. "Structural Estimates of the U.S. Sacrifice Ratio," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 19(4), pages 416-427, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:16:y:1988:i:1:p:101-128. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.