Four Decades of Canadian Earnings Inequality and Dynamics across Workers and Firms / Audra Bowlus, Émilien Gouin-Bonenfant, Huju Liu, Lance Lochner, Youngmin Park.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bowlus, Audra.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Gouin-Bonenfant, Émilien.

Liu, Huju.

Lochner, Lance.

Park, Youngmin.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w28757.

NBER working paper series no. w28757

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2021.

Summary:

This paper studies the evolution of individual earnings inequality and dynamics in Canada from 1983 to 2016 using tax files and administrative records. Linking these individuals to their employers (and rich administrative records on firms) beginning in 2001, it also documents the relationship between the earnings dynamics of workers and the size and growth of their employers. It highlights three main patterns over this period: First, with a few exceptions (sharp increase in top 1% and declining gender gap), Canada has experienced relatively modest changes in overall earnings inequality, volatility, and mobility between 1983 and 2016. Second, there is considerable variability in earnings inequality and volatility over the business cycle. Third, the earnings dynamics of individuals are strongly related to the size and employment growth of their employers.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2021.