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The Accumulation of Human Capital and Income Inequality in a Two-Sector Economy

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  • Stephen J. Turnovsky

Abstract

A two-sector endogenous growth model linking human capital accumulation and income inequality is developed. Productivity increases in the final output sector have no effect on growth or inequality. Productivity increases in the human capital sector raise the growth rate, but their effect on income inequality depends on sectoral factor intensities. Income inequality and welfare inequality are driven by different factors and are likely to respond in opposite ways to productivity enhancement in the human capital sector. Finally, the gradual introduction of a productivity increase generates dynamics in both human capital inequality and income inequality, leading to permanent path-dependent effects.

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  • Stephen J. Turnovsky, 2011. "The Accumulation of Human Capital and Income Inequality in a Two-Sector Economy," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(4), pages 418-452.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jhucap:doi:10.1086/663169
    DOI: 10.1086/663169
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    2. Haldar, Anasuya & Sethi, Narayan, 2022. "Effect of sectoral foreign aid allocation on growth and structural transformation in sub-Saharan Africa—Analysing the roles of institutional quality and human capital," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1010-1026.
    3. Arsham Reisinezhad, 2020. "Does income inequality feed the Dutch disease?," PSE Working Papers halshs-03012653, HAL.
    4. Kirill Borissov & Stefano Bosi & Thai Ha-Huy & Leonor Modesto, 2017. "Heterogeneous Human Capital, Inequality and Growth: The Role of Patience and Skills," EUSP Department of Economics Working Paper Series 2017/03, European University at St. Petersburg, Department of Economics.
    5. Borissov, Kirill & Bosi, Stefano & Ha-Huy, Thai & Modesto, Leonor, 2016. "Inequality and Growth: The Role of Human Capital with Heterogeneous Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 10090, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Stephen J. Turnovsky & Aditi Mitra, 2013. "The Interaction between Human and Physical Capital Accumulation and the Growth-Inequality Trade-off," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(1), pages 26-75.
    7. Arsham Reisinezhad, 2018. "Economic Growth and Income Inequality in Resource Countries: Theory and Evidence," Working Papers halshs-01707976, HAL.
    8. Acheampong, Alex O. & Dzator, Janet & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2021. "Empowering the powerless: Does access to energy improve income inequality?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    9. Ünal Töngür & Adem Yavuz Elveren, 2016. "The impact of military spending and income inequality on economic growth in Turkey," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 433-452, June.
    10. Alex O. Acheampong & Janet Dzator & Matthew Abunyewah & Michael Odei Erdiaw-Kwasie & Eric Evans Osei Opoku, 2023. "Sub-Saharan Africa’s Tragedy: Resource Curse, Democracy and Income Inequality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 471-509, August.
    11. Maruta, Admasu Asfaw & Banerjee, Rajabrata & Cavoli, Tony, 2020. "Foreign aid, institutional quality and economic growth: Evidence from the developing world," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 444-463.
    12. Töngür, Ünal & Elveren, Adem, 2013. "The Impact of Military Spending and Income Inequality on Economic Growth in Turkey, 1963-2008," EY International Congress on Economics I (EYC2013), October 24-25, 2013, Ankara, Turkey 251, Ekonomik Yaklasim Association.
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