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Compensation for Earnings Risk under Worker Heterogeneity

Author

Listed:
  • Berkhout, Peter

    (RIGO Research Institute)

  • Hartog, Joop

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Webbink, Dinand

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

We use two large Dutch datasets to estimate the Risk Augmented Mincer equation and test for risk compensation in expected earnings. We replicate earlier findings of a positive premium for risk and a negative premium for skew and add confirmation of the key results if we control for individual ability. We find that immigrants have graduated in more risky educations but obtain identical risk compensation. Among recent graduates, women receive higher risk compensation than men, consistent with their higher risk aversion, while for a labour force cross-section, lower average compensation for women is consistent with their presence in less risky educations. Lower average compensation for vocational graduates than for university graduates is consistent with presumed higher risk aversion and lower observed risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Berkhout, Peter & Hartog, Joop & Webbink, Dinand, 2006. "Compensation for Earnings Risk under Worker Heterogeneity," IZA Discussion Papers 2074, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2074
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven J. Davis & Paul Willen, 2013. "Occupation-Level Income Shocks and Asset Returns: Their Covariance and Implications for Portfolio Choice," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(03n04), pages 1-53.
    2. Flavio Cunha & James Heckman & Salvador Navarro, 2005. "Separating uncertainty from heterogeneity in life cycle earnings," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 57(2), pages 191-261, April.
    3. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, 2003. "An Empirical Analysis of the Risk Properties of Human Capital Returns," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 948-964, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Livanos, Ilias & Pouliakas, Konstantinos, 2009. "The Gender Wage Gap as a Function of Educational Degree Choices in an Occupationally Segregated EU Country," IZA Discussion Papers 4636, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    earnings function; risk; wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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