Social norms, inequality and fertility

We explore the short-run and long-run effects on fertility of inequality with regard to human capital when the individual's fertility decision is influenced by average fertility in the economy. We find simple conditions under which a mean-preserving spread in the distribution of human capital helps decrease fertility and increase future average human capital.

The Optimal Minimum Wage for Poverty Minimization

The effects of a minimum wage on employment and on poverty have been studied in the literature. This paper characterizes the poverty minimizing minimum wage, and shows how it depends on productivity, inequality and the degree of labor market competitiveness.inequality, labor productivity, market competitiveness, minimum wage, poverty, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Political Economy, D6, I32, J38, J64,

Labor Market Competitiveness and Poverty

How does labor market competitiveness frame the impact of greater labor productivity and lower inequality on poverty? Specifically, does greater competitiveness increase the impact of higher labor productivity and lower inequality on poverty reduction? In a simple model, we show that there is complementarity between competitiveness and productivity – the greater is one, the larger is the impact of the other. This suggests that improving labor market competitiveness is worthwhile not only for its own sake, but because it improves the transmission mechanism from productivity increases to poverty reduction. We also derive precise conditions under which there is a similar complementarity between equality and competitiveness in poverty reduction.inequality, labor productivity, market competitiveness, poverty, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Political Economy, D6, I32, J2, J64,

Repayment Frequency and Repayment Performance in Microfinance

This paper explains why most microfinance institutions (MFIs) employ equal install-ment schedules rather than a single repayment one, which has been a puzzle for economic theorists. Equal installment contracts, however, pose a large financial burden on poor bor-rowers. The paper therefore investigates a flexible installment contract and establishes how the amount of each installment should be varied according to the interest rate, the proba-bility with which an economic shock arises, and the future discount rate of the borrower, among others. It is shown that under certain conditions both MFIs and borrowers are better off under the proposed flexible installment contract. JEL classification: O12; G2

Middlemen, Non-Profits, and Poverty

In many markets in developing countries, especially in remote areas, middlemen are thought to earn excessive profits. Non-profits come in to counter what is seen as middlemen's market power, and rich country consumers pay a "fair-trade" premium for products marketed by such non-profits. This paper provides answers to the following five questions. How exactly do middlemen and non-profits divide up the market? How do the price mark up and price pass-through differ between middleman and non-profits? What is the impact of non-profits entry on the wellbeing of the poor? Should the government subsidize the entry of non-profits, or the entry of middlemen? Should wealthy consumers in the North pay a premium for fair trade products, or should they support fair trade non-profits directly?poverty, non-profits, middlemen, market access

Middlemen, Non-Profits, and Poverty

In many markets in developing countries, especially in remote areas, middlemen are thought to earn excessive profits. Non-profits come in to counter what is seen as middlemen's market power, and rich country consumers pay a "fair-trade" premium for products marketed by such non-profits. This paper provides answers to the following five questions. How exactly do middlemen and non-profits divide up the market? How do the price mark up and price pass-through differ between middleman and non-profits? What is the impact of non-profits entry on the wellbeing of the poor? Should the government subsidize the entry of non-profits, or the entry of middlemen? Should wealthy consumers in the North pay a premium for fair trade products, or should they support fair trade non-profits directly?Middlemen, Non-profits, Poverty, Market Access, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Productivity Analysis, F15, I32, L3,

Negative skill sorting across production chains

Previous literature generally predicts that individuals with higher skills work in industries with longer production chains. However, the opposite skill-sorting pattern, a "negative skill-sorting" phenomenon, is also observed in reality. This paper proposes a possible mechanism by which both cases can happen and shows that negative skill sorting is more likely to occur when the quality of intermediate inputs degrade rapidly (or improves slowly) along the production chain. We empirically confirm our theoretical prediction by using country-industry panel data. The results are robust regardless of estimation method, control variables, and industry coverage. This study has important implications for understanding countries\u27 comparative advantages and development patterns

Deformation of Marine Terraces and the Seafloor on and around Ishigaki Island Based on the Analysis of a Digital Elevation Model

Topographic anaglyph images are viewed using red-cyan glasses, which enables us to identify topographic relief features easily. In general, anaglyphs produced from the digital elevation model (DEM) are an effective means of identifying the tectonic geomorphology of both inland and seafloor. Few studies of tectonic geomorphology along coastal areas have been conducted because detailed topographical maps that combine data from inland and seafloor measurements have been lacking. This study aims to re-examine the tectonic geomorphology of the late Quaternary and present information related to the crustal deformation of the marine terraces and the seafloor on and around Ishigaki Island. This island is located in the southern part of the Nanseishoto Islands in Southwest Japan. Boulders transported by the giant tsunami in 1771 have remained on the coral reefs and marine terraces of this island. However, the source fault of the tsunami is unidentified. In this study, we interpret the topographic anaglyph images produced from 5-m- and 10-m-mesh inland DEMs of Japan provided by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. In addition, we examine a 2-s-mesh DEM of the seafloor obtained from cloud point data of multi-beam echo-sounding devices provided by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology as well as a 2.8-s-mesh DEM re-processed from digital bathymetric charts using 1-m- to 2-m-interval counters from the Japan Hydrographic Association. The marine terraces in the southern part of Ishigaki Island were divided into three levels using the topographic anaglyph images. The heights of the old shorelines of these marine terraces in the east are higher than those in the west, suggesting that crustal movement tilted westward during the late Pleistocene. On the seafloor, 17-km-long northeast-trending steep and straight slopes are identified off the southeast coast of the island. The active reverse fault probably causes these scarps because small slopes were observed on the southeast dipping young slope distributed to the northeast extension of the steep slopes. Moreover, the active fault that cut the Ryukyu groups of the Pleistocene sediment just beneath the steep slope was depicted in some areas of the published geological map. This fault is named the Shiraho-Oki fault in this study and may be the source of the tilting to the west on the island. The resolution and accuracy of the DEM for the territory of Japan vary considerably between the inland and the seafloor. Detailed digital elevation data of the seafloor acquired by multi-beam echo-sounding devices should be obtained and stored to understand the tectonic geomorphology along the coastal areas.本研究は科学研究費補助金（課題番号：16K01221）を使用しました