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Income Inequality, Productivity, and International Trade

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  • Hsu, Wen-Tai
  • Lu, Lin
  • Picard, Pierre M.

    (Université catholique de Louvain, LIDAM/CORE, Belgium)

Abstract

This paper discusses the effect of income inequality on selection and aggregate productivity in a general equilibrium model with non-homothetic preferences. It shows the existence of a negative relationship between the number and quantity of products consumed by an income group and the earnings of other income groups. It also highlights the negative effect of mean-preserving spread of income on aggregate productivity through the softening of firms’ selection. This effect is however mitigated in the presence of international trade. In a quantitative analysis, it is shown that a too large mean-preserving spread of income may harm the rich as it raises firms’ markups on her purchases. This is contrary to the general belief that income inequality benefits the rich.

Suggested Citation

  • Hsu, Wen-Tai & Lu, Lin & Picard, Pierre M., 2021. "Income Inequality, Productivity, and International Trade," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2021029, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2021029
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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