Intergenerational earnings mobility and equality of opportunity in South Africa

Patrizio Piraino

No 131, SALDRU Working Papers from Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town

Abstract: The paper estimates the degree of intergenerational earnings persistence in South Africa. It explores the link between this measure of social mobility and an index of inequality of opportunity. Using microdata from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), the paper finds that intergenerational earnings mobility in South Africa is low. In addition, a limited set of inherited circumstances explains a significant fraction of earnings inequality among male adults. Adding South Africa to the existing international literature supports the hypothesis that low levels of intergenerational mobility and equality of opportunity are emblematic of high-inequality emerging economies.

Keywords: Intergenerational earnings mobility; inequality of opportunity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-lab
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Intergenerational Earnings Mobility and Equality of Opportunity in South Africa (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ldr:wpaper:131

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