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Human Capital Formation, Income Inequality and Growth

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  • Jean-Marie Viaene
  • Itzhak Zilcha

Abstract

The paper studies the determinants of income distribution and growth in an overlapping generations economy with heterogenous households. Our framework has the following main features: (1) heterogeneity of consumers with respect to wealth and parental human capital; (2) intergenerational transfers are accomplished via investment in the education of the younger generation. Heterogeneity in income results from the distribution of human capital across individuals in a nondegenerate way. The human capital production is affected by the ’home-education’, provided by the parents, as well as the ’public-education’ which is provided equally to all young individuals of the same generation. Due to investments in human capital our economy is an endogenous growth model. First, we explore the effects of technological improvements in the human capital process, upon the distribution of income at each date along the equilibrium path. Second, we study the impact of such technogical progress on growth and relate these results to the income distribution inequality. Third, we provide numerical simulations to quantify the effect of changes in the parameters of the model. Simulation results include exact Gini coefficients and tax rate on labor determined endogenously through majority voting.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Marie Viaene & Itzhak Zilcha, 2001. "Human Capital Formation, Income Inequality and Growth," CESifo Working Paper Series 512, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_512
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    Cited by:

    1. Carolina Arteaga Cabrales, 2011. "Human Capital Externalities and Growth," Revista ESPE - Ensayos Sobre Política Económica, Banco de la República, vol. 29(66), pages 12-47, December.
    2. Ooft, Gavin & Eckhorst, Karel, 2013. "Human Capital Development and Economic Growth in Suriname," EconStor Preprints 215530, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. Nikos Benos, 2005. "Education Systems, Growth and Welfare," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 5-2005, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    4. Jakub Bartak & Łukasz Jabłoński, 2020. "Inequality and growth: What comes from the different inequality measures?," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 185-212, April.
    5. Niko Gobbin & Glenn Rayp, 2008. "Different ways of looking at old issues: a time-series approach to inequality and growth," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(7), pages 885-895.
    6. Nikos Benos, 2004. "Education Policies and Economic Growth," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 4-2004, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    7. Niko Gobbin & Glenn Rayp & Dirk Van de gaer, 2007. "Inequality And Growth: From Micro Theory To Macro Empirics," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 54(4), pages 508-530, September.
    8. Sylvain Dessy & Tiana Rambeloma, 2009. "Immigration Policy, Remittances, and Growth in the Migrant-Sending Country," Cahiers de recherche 0915, CIRPEE.
    9. Nicolas Bauduin & Joël Hellier, 2006. "Skill Dynamics, Inequality and Social Policies," Working Papers 34, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    10. Guido Baldi, 2013. "Physical And Human Capital Accumulation And The Evolution Of Income And Inequality," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 38(3), pages 57-83, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human Capital; income distribution; endogenous growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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