Assignment models of the distribution of earnings：收入分布的分配模型.docx

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1、Assignmentmode1sof,thedistributionof,earningsSource:Journa1ofEconomic1iterature,Jun93,Vo1.31Issue2,p831,50p,1chart,10graphsAuthor(s):Sattinger,Michae1Abstract:Discussesthedistributionofearningsasarisingfromthemarketeconomysso1utiontotheprob1emofassigningworkerstojobs.Theeconomy,sassignmentprob1em;A1

2、ternativeassignmentmode1s;Comparisonsandextensionsofmode1s;Strategiesinstudyingthedistributionofearnings.Journa1ofEconomic1iterature,June,1993TheauthorisindebtedtoRicardoBarros,JamesHeckman,KajaI1ahiri,David1am,ThadMirer,1awrenceRaffa1ovich,T.Pau1Schu1tz,andanonymousrefereesforcommentsonear1ierdraft

3、s.Errorsandopinionsaretheresponsibi1ityoftheauthor.I.IntroductionRE1ATIVEWAGESarechanging.Overthe1astdecadeorso,earningsofhighschoo1graduateshavedec1inedre1ativetoco11egegraduates,andearningsofyoungadu1tshavedec1inedre1ativetoo1deradu1ts;asaresu1t,thedistributionofearningshasbecomemoreunequa1.1These

4、re1ativechangesarehardtoexp1aininthecontextofmode1swherethereturntoeducationisfixedbythe1ongrunsupp1ybehaviorofindividua1sorinwhichtheproductivityandearningsofindividua1saretheresu1toftheireducationandexperience,independentoftheavai1abi1ityofjobsintheeconomy.Whi1echangesintheindustria1andoccupationa

5、1mixoftheeconomyareroutine1yincorporatedintoadhocexp1anationsofshiftsinthedistributionofearnings,theyareabsentfrommostforma1mode1softhedistribution.Thispaperreviewsmode1sthatexp1ainthedistributionofearningsasarisingfromthemarketeconomysso1utiontotheprob1emofassigningworkerstojobs.Theamountaworkercan

6、contributetoproductiontypica11ydependsonwhichjobtheworkerperforms.Thisoccursbecausejobsrequiremanydifferenttasks,andhumanperformancesatthosetasksareextreme1ydiverse;becauseindustria1sectorsusedifferenttechno1ogiesthatre1yondifferentcombinationsofhumanski11s;orbecausejobsvaryintheamountsofresourcesco

7、mbinedwith1abor.Fortheeconomyasawho1e,tota1outputthendependsonhowworkersareassignedtojobs,i.e.,whichworkerperformswhichjob.Theexistenceofanassignmentprob1emimp1iesthatworkersfaceachoiceintheirjoborsector.Theirearningsarenotdeterminedbytheirperformanceinonesectora1one:iftheydopoor1yatonejoborsector,t

8、heycanchooseanother.Choiceofjoborsectorcreatesanintermediatestepbetweenindividua1scharacteristicsandtheirearnings.Theobservedre1ationshipisconstructedfromworkerchoices.Incomeoruti1itymaximizationguidesworkerstochooseparticu1arjobsoverothers.Higherwagesforworkerswithsomecharacteristicsthenp1ayana11oc

9、ativero1eintheeconomyratherthansimp1ybeingrewardsforthepossessionofparticu1archaracteristics.Workersfoundinagivensectorarenotrandom1ydrawnfromthepopu1ationasawho1e.Insteadworkers*1ocationsinsectorsorjobsarebasedonthecriterionthattheirchoicesmaximizetheirincomeoruti1ity.Themode1sdiscussedherearechara

10、cterizedbythepresenceofanassignmentprob1em,togetherwiththeconsequencesofworkerchoiceandnonrandomse1ection.Despiteoutwarddifferences,themode1sdiscussedinSectionIIIhaveincommonthattheyspecifythejobsorsectorsavai1ab1etoworkers,there1evantdifferencesamongworkers,thetechno1ogyre1atingworkerandjobcharacte

11、risticstooutput,andthemechanismthatassignsworkerstojobs.Thesemode1sgenera11yproceedbyfirstdescribingtheassignmentprob1empresentintheeconomy.Thenonecanderivethewagedifferentia1sthatareconsistentwithanequi1ibriumassignmentofworkerstojobs.Theequi1ibriumwagedifferentia1sarethosethatyie1dequa1itybetweena

12、mountsof1aborsupp1iedanddemandedineachsubmarketof1abor.Byprovidingagenera1equi1ibriumframeworkforstudyinginequa1ity,assignmentmode1srevea1arigorousroutebywhichdemandfactorsinf1uenceinequa1ityandcorrect1yspecifythere1ationbetweenthedistributionofindividua1characteristicsandinequa1ity.Theearningsfunct

13、ionisno1ongeradirect1yobservab1ere1ationshipbutinsteadistheequi1ibriumoutcometotheso1utionoftheassignmentprob1em.Exp1icitconsiderationoftheeconomysassignmentprob1emprovidesaunitytoseeming1yseparatetopics.Wagedifferentia1s,occupationa1choice,organizationofhierarchies,unequa1ski11pricesandse1f-se1ecti

14、onbiasaretopicsthathavebeenstudiedbythemse1vesbutwhichariseasconsequencesoftheassignmentprob1em.Theexistenceofmany1abormarketphenomena,suchassearch,mobi1ity,hierarchytournaments,unemp1oyment,andspecia1ized1abormarkets,canbemotivatedas1abormarketresponsestotheprob1emofassigningworkerstojobs.A1thoughn

15、otgenera11yrecognizedasasubcategoryofincomedistributiontheories,assignmentmode1shaveafair1y1onghistory.TheycanbesaidtobeginwithJanTinbergensmode1(1951)withcontinuousdistributionsofworkersandjobsandA.D.Royssectora1mode1(1951)withworkerschoosingbetweentwoormoreoccupations.Thesemode1sdifferinanumberofw

16、aysbutsharethefeaturethatthedistributionofearningscanbeexp1ainedthroughtheassignmentprob1em.Empirica1mode1ingofthedistributionofearningsrequirestheeconometricspecificationofworkera1ternatives,eventhoughon1ythechosensectororjobisobserved.Thisgeneratesasetofeconometricprob1emsthathavebeenaddressedinapp1icationsofRoysandTinbergentSmode1s.Probab1ymosteconomistswou1dagreetothebasicpremisesunder1yingassignmentmode1s,thatbothsupp1yanddemandarere1evantandthatindivi