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The Distribution of Wages in Belarus

Author

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  • Pastore, Francesco

    (Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli)

  • Verashchagina, Alina

    (Marche Polytechnic University)

Abstract

This paper uncovers evidence on the distribution of wages in Belarus in the second half of the 1990s. The returns to education and work experience are high and stable, which is atypical for a transition country. This might be due to the pervasive role of the state in fixing wages in the dominant budget sector, rather than to market forces coming into play. Women experience contained, though largely unexplained discrimination coupled with higher than average returns to education. A wage curve effect is found, which is similar in size to that of other transition countries, but much higher than in market economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Pastore, Francesco & Verashchagina, Alina, 2004. "The Distribution of Wages in Belarus," IZA Discussion Papers 1140, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1140
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    Cited by:

    1. Olivier Blanchard & Michael Kremer, 1997. "Disorganization," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(4), pages 1091-1126.
    2. Kumo, Kazuhiro, 2015. "Research on Poverty in Transition Economies: A Meta-analysis on Changes in the Determinants of Poverty," RRC Working Paper Series 51, Russian Research Center, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Aristei, David & Perugini, Cristiano, 2012. "Inequality and reforms in transition countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 2-10.
    4. Horie, Norio & Iwasaki, Ichiro & 岩﨑, 一郎, 2022. "Returns to Education in European Emerging Markets: A Meta-Analytic Review," RRC Working Paper Series 95, Russian Research Center, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    5. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2005. "The Wage Curve Reloaded," NBER Working Papers 11338, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Norio Horie & Ichiro Iwasaki, 2023. "Returns to schooling in European emerging markets: a meta-analysis," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 102-128, January.
    7. Pastore Francesco & Verashchagina Alina, 2007. "The gender wage gap in the Republic of Belarus," EERC Working Paper Series 04-133e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Belarus; gender wage gap; returns to education; wage distribution; wage curve;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies

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