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Common Trends and Shocks to Top Incomes – A Structural Breaks Approach

Jesper Roine () and Daniel Waldenström

No 801, Working Paper Series from Research Institute of Industrial Economics

Abstract: In this paper we use newly compiled top income share data to estimate common breaks and trends across countries over the twentieth century. By using the most re-cent structural breaks techniques, our approach both confirms previous notions and offers new insights. In particular, the division into an Anglo-Saxon and a Continental European experience does not seem to be as clear cut as previously suggested. Some continental European countries have had increases in top income shares, just as in the Anglo-Saxon countries, but typically with a lag. Most notably, we find that the Nordic countries display a marked “Anglo-Saxon” pattern, with sharply increased top income shares. Unlike in the Anglo-Saxon countries, however, including realized capital gains seems important in these countries. Our results help inform theories about the causes of the recent rise in inequality.

Keywords: Top Incomes; Income Inequality; Economic Development; Common Structural Breaks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C32 D30 N30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2009-06-16
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:0801

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