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Optimal Tax Progressivity in Imperfect Labour Markets

Author

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  • Peter Birch Sørensen

    (Institute of Economics, University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

All modern labor market theories capable of explaining involuntary unemployment as an equilibrium phenomenon imply that increased income tax progressivity reduces unemployment, but they also imply that higher progressivity tends to reduce work effort and labor productivity. This suggests that there may be an optimal degree of tax progressivity where the marginal welfare gain from reduced involuntary unemployment is just offset by the marginal welfare loss from lower productivity. This papers sets up three different simulation models of an imperfect labor market in order to identify the degree of tax progressivity which would maximize the welfare of the representative wage earner. The simulations suggest that the optimal degree of tax progressivity could be substantial and that the welfare gains from tax progressivity could be quite large, although the results are sensitive to the generosity of unemployment benefits and to the after-tax wage elasticity of work effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Birch Sørensen, 1997. "Optimal Tax Progressivity in Imperfect Labour Markets," Discussion Papers 97-06, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:kuiedp:9706
    DOI: 10.1016/S0927-5371(99)00021-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Fuest, Clemens & Huber, Bernd, 2000. "Is tax progression really good for employment? A model with endogenous hours of work," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 79-93, January.
    2. John P. Hutton & Anna Ruocco, "undated". "Can Tax Progression Raise Employment? A Study of Four European Countries," Discussion Papers 99/21, Department of Economics, University of York.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    optimal taxation; tax progressivity; imperfect labour markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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