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Labor Income Inequality in Thailand: the Roles of Education, Occupation and Employment History

Author

Listed:
  • Nada Wasi
  • Sasiwimon Warunsiri Paweenawat
  • Chinnawat Devahastin Na Ayudhya
  • Pucktada Treeratpituk
  • Chommanart Nittayo

Abstract

Thailand's income inequality has reportedly declined since the mid-1990s. This paper examines possible mechanisms underlying the dynamic patterns of the country's labor income inequality. Using the Thai labor force survey between 1988 and 2017, we document that the country's reduction in income inequality is likely driven by the fact the earnings at the bottom part of the distribution have become more similar. The median wage gap between college and non-college workers, however, still gets larger over time. Our key explanation is the changes in education-occupation composition. Recently college graduates are no longer concentrated in high skill jobs. A larger share of secondary educated workers works in low-skill jobs instead of the middle-skill ones. Using panel administrative data from the Thai Social Security Office, we find that wage disparity can also be explained by employment history. The high wage earners earn more since they enter the market, and the gap gets wider as the workers age. Additionally, the top of the group can command higher wages by working at a large firm or switching to a new job. These findings highlight the fact that to tackle the income inequality issue, the country needs to understand the underlying mechanisms behinds its dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Nada Wasi & Sasiwimon Warunsiri Paweenawat & Chinnawat Devahastin Na Ayudhya & Pucktada Treeratpituk & Chommanart Nittayo, 2019. "Labor Income Inequality in Thailand: the Roles of Education, Occupation and Employment History," PIER Discussion Papers 117, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:pui:dpaper:117
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sukampon Chongwilaikasaem & Chaleampong Kongcharoen & Nakarin Amarase, 2022. "Relationship between Conflict and Labor Market in the Deep South of Thailand," PIER Discussion Papers 193, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Daranrat Jaitiang & Wen-Chi Huang & Shang-Ho Yang, 2021. "Does Income Inequality Exist among Urban Farmers? A Demonstration of Lorenz Curves from Northern Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Wanetha Sudswong & Anon Plangprasopchok & Chainarong Amornbunchornvej, 2021. "Occupational Income Inequality of Thailand: A Case Study of Exploratory Data Analysis beyond Gini Coefficient," Papers 2111.06224, arXiv.org.
    4. Muthitacharoen, Athiphat & Burong, Trongwut, 2023. "Climbing the economic ladder: Earnings inequality and intragenerational mobility among Thai formal workers," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor Income Distribution; Employment History; Educational Wage Differentials; Occupation; Thailand;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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