AN EXPLORATORY COMPARISON OF INCOME RISK IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES

Edward J. Bird

Review of Income and Wealth, 1995, vol. 41, issue 4, 405-426

Abstract: Using longitudinal data, 1 estimate the impact of redistribution on the welfare cost of income risk in Germany and the United States. The estimates account fully for behavior because individuals in each country have responded optimally to that country's policy. The results indicate that the welfare cost of income risk is 5.4 percent of disposable income in Germany, 8.5 percent in the U.S. Redistribution has reduced these risks from their pre‐tax, pre‐transfer levels by 43 percent in Germany, 21 percent in the U.S. The political importance of income security is evident in both countries, as risk relief often eliminates the net burden of redistributive taxes among middle‐class households. The conclusions are robust across several models of income expectations.

Date: 1995
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