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Consumption Taxes and Divisibility of Labor under Incomplete Markets

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  • Tomoyuki Nakajima

    (Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University and Canon Institute for Global Studies.)

  • Shuhei Takahashi

    (Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University)

Abstract

We analyze lump-sum transfers financed through consumption taxes in a heterogeneous- agent model with uninsured idiosyncratic wage risk and endogenous labor supply. The model is calibrated to the U.S. economy. We find that consumption inequality and uncertainty decrease with transfers much more substantially under divisible than indi- visible labor. Increasing transfers by raising the consumption tax rate from 5% to 35% decreases the consumption Gini by 0.04 under divisible labor, whereas it has almost no effect on the consumption Gini under indivisible labor. The divisibility of labor also affects the relationship among consumption-tax financed transfers, aggregate saving, and the wealth distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomoyuki Nakajima & Shuhei Takahashi, 2016. "Consumption Taxes and Divisibility of Labor under Incomplete Markets," UTokyo Price Project Working Paper Series 065, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:upd:utppwp:065
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    Cited by:

    1. Shuhei Takahashi & Ken Yamada, 2017. "The Impact of Taxes and Transfers on Skill Premium," KIER Working Papers 976, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transfers; Consumption taxes; Inequality; Uncertainty; Divisibility of labor; Incomplete markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models

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