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What explains the urban wage premium? Sorting, non-portable or portable agglomeration effects?

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  • Frings, Hanna
  • Kamb, Rebecca

Abstract

Using administrative data for West Germany, we study the relative importance of different determinants of the urban wage premium. More explicitly, we distinguish worker sorting, as well as portable and non-portable agglomeration effects. Our results indicate that worker sorting explains about two thirds of the urban-rural wage gap. We show that the estimated fraction of the urban wage premium attributed to worker sorting differs considerably depending on the selectivity of the sample used for identification and provide guidance how this selectivity can be reduced. Agglomeration effects explain about one third of the urban wage premium, with portable and non-portable agglomeration effects being of similar importance.

Suggested Citation

  • Frings, Hanna & Kamb, Rebecca, 2021. "What explains the urban wage premium? Sorting, non-portable or portable agglomeration effects?," Ruhr Economic Papers 916, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:916
    DOI: 10.4419/96973062
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban wage premium; sorting; agglomeration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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