UNU-WIDER WP/2012/010 The Rise and Fall of Income Inequality in Mexico, 1989–2010
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Table of contents
WP/010 The Rise and Fall of Income Inequality in Mexico, 1989–2010
Inequality in Mexico rose between 1989 and 1994 and declined between 1994 and 2010. We examine the role of market forces (demand and supply of labour by skill), institutional factors (minimum wages and unionization rate), and public policy (cash transfers) in explaining changes in inequality. We apply the ‘re-centred influence function’ method to decompose changes in hourly wages into characteristics and returns. The main driver is changes in returns. Returns rose (1989-94) due to institutional factors and labour demand. Returns declined (1994-2006) due to changes in supply and, to a lesser extent, in demand; institutional factors were not relevant. Government transfers contributed to the decline in inequality, especially after 2000.
- Publisher:
- UNU-WIDER
- Series:
- WIDER Working Paper
- Volume:
- 2012/10
- Title:
- WP/010 The Rise and Fall of Income Inequality in Mexico, 1989–2010
- Authors:
- Raymundo Campos, Gerardo Esquivel, and Nora Lustig
- Publication date:
- January 2012
- ISBN 13 Web:
- 978-92-9230-473-7
- Copyright holder:
- © UNU-WIDER
- Copyright year:
- 2012
- Keywords:
- inequality, wages, disposable income, labour markets, Mexico
- JEL:
- D31; J20; J31; O54
- Project:
- The New Policy Model, Inequality and Poverty in Latin America: Evidence from the Last Decade and Prospects for the Future
- Sponsor:
- UNU-WIDER gratefully acknowledges the financial contributions to the research programme by the governments of Denmark (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Finland (Ministry for Foreign Affairs), Sweden (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency—Sida) and the United Kingdom (Department for International Development).
- Format:
- online