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Disaggregating the Effect of the Business Cycle on the Distribution of Income

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  • Rebecca M. Blank

Abstract

This paper disaggregates total household income into a complete set of components and studies the comparative cyclicality of these components to economic growth. Comparisons of the relative responsiveness to GNP growth of wages, hours of work, and total labor market income of heads and wives, and transfer income sources of households are made across income, race, sex and age groups. This provides a picture of the channels by which economic growth produces income change. Significant differences in elasticities are found to exist both between different income components and between different population groups for the same components. The narrowing income distribution in times of high growth occurs primarily because of large elasticities on head's labor market income among the poor. Both wages and hours show evidence of cyclicality. The labor market earnings of women -- both wives and household heads -- are far less responsive to growth. Cyclicality in transfer income varies enormously between population groups and by type of transfer.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca M. Blank, 1987. "Disaggregating the Effect of the Business Cycle on the Distribution of Income," NBER Working Papers 2397, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2397
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:bla:econom:v:47:y:1980:i:187:p:217-45 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Rebecca M. Blank & Alan S. Blinder, 1985. "Macroeconomics, Income Distribution, and Poverty," NBER Working Papers 1567, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Michael R. Ransom, 1982. "Estimating Family Labor Supply Models Under Quantity Constraints," Working Papers 530, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
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    5. Jacob Mincer, 1962. "Labor Force Participation of Married Women: A Study of Labor Supply," NBER Chapters, in: Aspects of Labor Economics, pages 63-105, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Beach, Charles M, 1977. "Cyclical Sensitivity of Aggregate Income Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 59(1), pages 56-66, February.
    7. Daniel Creamer & Martin Bernstein, 1956. "Personal Income during Business Cycles," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number crea56-1, June.
    8. repec:bla:econom:v:56:y:1989:i:222:p:141-63 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Geary, Patrick T & Kennan, John, 1982. "The Employment-Real Wage Relationship: An International Study," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(4), pages 854-871, August.
    10. Mary Jo Bane & David T. Ellwood, 1986. "Slipping into and out of Poverty: The Dynamics of Spells," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 21(1), pages 1-23.
    11. Hirsch, Barry T, 1980. "Poverty and Economic Growth: Has Trickle Down Petered Out?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(1), pages 151-158, January.
    12. Bils, Mark J, 1985. "Real Wages over the Business Cycle: Evidence from Panel Data," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(4), pages 666-689, August.
    13. Lundberg, Shelly, 1985. "The Added Worker Effect," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 11-37, January.
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    15. Thornton, James R & Agnello, Richard J & Link, Charles R, 1978. "Poverty and Economic Growth: Trickle Down Peters Out," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 16(3), pages 385-394, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gary Solon & Robert Barsky & Jonathan A. Parker, 1994. "Measuring the Cyclicality of Real Wages: How Important is Composition Bias?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(1), pages 1-25.
    2. Lídia Farré & Francis Vella, 2008. "Macroeconomic Conditions and the Distribution of Income in Spain," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 22(3), pages 383-410, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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