We study the effects of redistributive taxation on growth, inequality and welfare in a Schumpeterian economy and compare the outcomes of different policies. The model features a structure of vertical innovations based on the concept of creative destruction and contains risk-averse agents and elastic labor supply. Contrary to previous findings, we show that excessive tax rates discourage research effort, but moderate redistribution can stimulate it. We analyze the results for three different policies: equal redistribution to all agents, research subsidy and innovation bonus. While the first is better in terms of reducing inequality, the others are more efficient to promote research effort and economic growth. We show that the best policy in terms of welfare generation changes as we increase the amount of skilled individuals in the economy, and that the obtained outcomes do not support the hypothesis of convergence. / O presente estudo analisa os efeitos de redistribuição de renda sobre crescimento, desigualdade e bem-estar em uma economia Schumpeteriana e compara os resultados de diferentes políticas de redistribuição. O modelo contempla uma estrutura de inovação vertical baseada no conceito de destruição criadora e contém agentes avessos ao risco e elasticidade na oferta de trabalho. Ao contrário de estudos anteriores, mostra-se que taxação excessiva desencoraja a atividade de pesquisa, mas redistribuição de renda moderada pode incentivá-la. Analisam-se os resultados de equilíbrio para três diferentes políticas: redistribuição igual entre os agentes, subsídio à pesquisa e bônus por inovação. Enquanto a primeira é a mais eficiente para reduzir a desigualdade de renda, as outras duas são mais eficientes para promover crescimento econômico. Mostra-se que a política ótima em termos de geração de bem-estar varia dependendo da massa de indivíduos qualificados na economia, e que os resultados obtidos não sustentam a hipótese de convergência.

Esse estudo tem como objetivo investigar o comportamento da oferta de trabalho dos cônjuges brasileiros e verificar o grau de adequação desse em relação a um modelo específico dentro da abordagem coletiva (\'collective models\'). O modelo coletivo de oferta de trabalho com fatores distributivos oferece uma estrutura teórica para interpretar o processo decisório intra-familiar e seus resultados, as alocações de consumo e oferta de trabalho das famílias, que são Pareto eficientes por hipótese. Fatores distributivos são variáveis que afetam a decisão sobre oferta de trabalho, mas não tem impactos sobre as preferências nem a restrição orçamentária das famílias. As informações relativas à amostra de famílias brasileiras foram obtidas a partir da PNAD e da Estatística de Registros Civis, ambas para o ano de 2004. Os resultados não rejeitam as restrições derivadas do modelo coletivo, tanto em sua forma geral quanto na versão restrita pela imposição de preferências egoístas. Além disso, as variáveis adotadas como fatores distributivos, sex-ratio e \'participação em divórcios\', influenciam, de forma significativa e condizente com a teoria, a oferta de trabalho de maridos e esposas. / This paper has as objective to investigate the Brazilian spouses\' labor supply behavior and to empirically check the adequacy of a specific collective model. The collective labor supply model with distribution factors offers a theoretical structure to interpret the intra-household decision process and its results, the families\' choices of consumption and labor supply, who are Pareto efficient. Distribution factors are variables that affect the labor supply decision, but do not have impacts on the preference relations nor the budget constraint of the families. The sample of Brazilian families had been gotten from the \"PNAD\" and \"Estatística de Registros Civis\", for the year of 2004. The results do not reject the restrictions derived from the collective model, neither in its general form nor in the egoisti preferences form. Moreover, distribution factors, sex-ratio and \'participação em divórcios\', are found to affect labor supply of husbands and wives in the directions predicted by the theory and to be statistically significant.

In diesem Beitrag wird eine Regressionsanalyse vorgestellt, die die Einflüsse auf die Entscheidung verheirateter deutscher Frauen untersucht, eine Erwerbstätigkeit aufzunehmen. Um Differenzen im Verhalten von ost- und westdeutschen Frauen zu ermitteln, erfolgte die Untersuchung getrennt in zwei Datensätzen. Zur Vermeidung von Annahmen über die Art des Zusammenhanges wurde das Generalisierte Additive Modell (GAM) gewählt, ein semiparametrisches Regressionsmodell. Diese Modellform, die nichtparametrische und parametrische Regressionsmethoden in sich vereint, hat bisher wenig Verbreitung in der Praxis gefunden. Dies lag vor allem am Schätz verfahren, dem Backfitting. Seit etwa einem Jahr gibt es neue Ansätze, in dieser Modellform zu schätzen. Die analytischen Eigenschaften des neuen Schätzers lassen sich leichter bestimmen. Mit dieser Schätzung konnten Unterschiede zwischen Ost und West genau herausgearbeitet werden und die funktionalen Zusammenhänge zwischen Einflußvariablen und Antwortvariable untersucht werden. Die Analyse brachte deutliche Unterschiede im Erwerbsverhalten zwischen der Frauen beider Landesteile zum Vorschein. / This paper will focus on the regression analysis of labor supply decisions of married German women. In order to determine differences East and West German women were compared seperately. To avoid assumptions about the functional type of correlation the Generalized Additive Model, a semiparametric regression model, was chosen. So far, this pattern consisting of nonparametric and parametric methods has not found acceptance in practical application. Reason for that is the backfitting-estimator. One year ago new ideas for the estimation by GAM were found. The analytical features of the new estimator are easier to determine. Using this method differences between East and West were discovered in detail and functional correlations between endogenous and exogenous variables were investigated. This analysis unveiled significant differences of labor supply behavior among East and West Germany.

The scope of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of pension reform on the financial incentives to retire for private sector workers in Austria. How do financial incentives embedded in the Austrian pension system affect individual retirement behavior? Was pension reform effective in changing these financial incentives in order to affect retirement behavior? How would future reform scenarios impact retirement behavior? Micro-estimating the impact of financial incentive measures on the probability of retirement shows that the behavioral response to financial incentives in Austria is relatively large in international comparison. Simulations demonstrate that pension reform was ineffective in providing incentives for delayed retirement. However, there are future reform scenarios that would have a huge impact on retirement behavior by altering the financial incentives.

Demographic transition implies severe challenges for high income nations, for instance Japan, as the population decreases due to declines in birth rates as well as the higher rate of elderly population. More women are entering the labor market which affects birth rates. In addition, technological progress has improved health care and standard of living, bringing up life expectancies. However, the elderly population is increasing, elevating the dependency ratio which dampens the economic growth. The changed age structure alters the ratio of labor force negatively relative to population, in spite of the higher female labor participation. This paper analyzes how the current demographic transition in advanced countries influences economic growth. The paper is focused on Japan that is currently dealing with the consequences from the fastest increase in the percentage share of the elderly population compared to the other high income countries. The empirical analysis is based on a growth accounting model that estimates the impact of demographic factors on growth rates in high income countries. The empirical results indicate that demographic factors such as life expectancy and total dependency ratio have a negative impact on economic growth. The conclusion is that Japan and other rich countries have to make greater efforts in dampening the demographic change by policy making and in-migration.

none

The effect of fertility on female labor supply decisions in Turkey is analyzed in this thesis. Taking the endogeneity between fertility and labor supply into account, the causal effect of fertility is interpreted in an instrumental variables estimation framework. Results of the analysis indicate that fertility estimates of sex preference and twin based instruments on short term labor supply of women differ substantially. While fertility increases due to sex preference instrument cause no significant change in labor supply decisions, unexpected fertility shocks by twin instrument have an adverse effect on female labor supply.

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborgs universitet, 2002. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1972. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-240).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics, August 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.