Intermediate inequality and welfare.

We introduce a new centrist or intermediate inequality concept, between the usual relative and absolute notions, which is shown to be a variant of the α-ray invariant inequality measures in Pfingsten and Seidl (1997). We say that distributions x and y have the same (x, π)-inequality if the total income difference between them is allocated among the individuals as follows: 100π% preserving income shares in x, and 100(1−π)% in equal absolute amounts. This notion can be made as operational as current standard methods in Shorrocks (1983).

An inequality decomposition method which minimizes equivalence scales contamination problems.

Decomposable measures are a useful tool to analyze the impact of households characteristics on income or expenditure inequality. However, the results are sensitive to the choice of equivalence scales in a heterogenous population. In this paper, we assume that equivalence scales depend only on the number of persons in the household. In this context, we suggest a method to free the decomposition analysis from the possible 'contamination' that will arise if we use an inappropiate equivalence scale. The method is applied to the evolution of the standard of living in Spain during the 80' s. We study the structure of Spanish inequality in 1980-81 and 1990-91, as well as the trend in overall inequality over time in terms of three factors: i) the change in within-group inequality, ii) the change in between-group inequality, and iii) the demographic change across partition subgroups.Inequatily decomposition; Inequality structure; Inequality trend; Equivalence scales;

Demographic trends and living standards the case of Spain during the 1980´s.

In this paper we study the evolution of the standard of living un Spain during the 1980' s for a population partitioned by the following individual characteristics: the age group, the 'relation to economic activity, and the result of the decision on whether to live in a household headed by someone else, or to live on one ' s own with or without dependents. Our results help to understand the decline ot inequality in Spain, wich has been formerly investigated only in terms of the household head' s characteristics. On the other hand, within the limits of our cross-section data, we provide sorne evidence on the economic rationale behind the individual decisions about early retirement, household formation, and the female participation in the labor market.Living arrangements; Individual characteristics; Inequality; Welfare;

Demographic trends and living standards : the case of Spain during the 1980s.

The main contribution of this paper is the study of the evolution of the standard of living in Spain during the 1980s for a population partitioned by the following individual characteristics: the age group, the relation to economic activity, and the result of the decision on whether to live in a household headed by someone else, or to live on one’s own with or without dependents. From the point of view of demographic studies, this paper is interesting because of the link established between demographic trends and an operational notion of an individual’s standard of living. This makes it possible to follow up the consequences of individual decisions by key subgroups, such as the early retired or women in general, as well as the consequences of household formation decisions by both the old and the young.En este trabajo se analiza la evolución del nivel de vida en España durante la década de los 80, a partir de diferentes particiones de la población construidas según las siguientes características individuales: edad, relación con la actividad económica, y el resultado de la decisión sobre los acuerdos de convivencia, ya sea como sustentador principal de un hogar, con o sin otros individuos dependientes, o como individuo dependiente en un hogar donde el sustentador principal es una persona distinta del propio individuo. Desde el punto de vista de los estudios de demografía económica, este trabajo es interesante debido al nexo que establece entre las tendencias demográficas, las decisiones sobre los acuerdos de convivencia entre los individuos y los niveles de vida alcanzados por los mismos. Esto permite extraer conclusiones sobre las consecuencias de las decisiones individuales adoptadas por subgrupos de especial interés como los retirados anticipadamente o las mujeres en general, así como las consecuencias de las decisiones de formación de hogares tanto en jóvenes como en mayores.Welfare; Inequality; Living arrangements; Demographic trends;

Accounting for the decline in Spanish household expenditures inequality during the 1980s.

In this paper we apply decomposition methods to analyze some of the factors accounting for the decrease in household expenditures inequality in Spain during the 1980s. We adopt a simple one-parameter model in which equivalence scales depend only on household size. Then we propose an inequality decomposition method which minimizes equivalence scales' potential contamination problems. We find that most of the change in overall inequality is due to a reduction in the within-group term in the partition by household size. The bulk of this reduction is accounted for by changes at the lower tail of the distribution in the partitions by the socioeconomic category and educational level of the household head. These two findings are independent of the equivalence scales parameter.Inequality decomposition; Inequality trend; Equivalence scales;

Intermediate inequality and welfare

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comWe introduce a new centrist or intermediate inequality concept, between the usual relative and absolute notions, which is shown to be a variant of the α-ray invariant inequality measures in Pfingsten and Seidl (1997). We say that distributions x and y have the same (x, π)-inequality if the total income difference between them is allocated among the individuals as follows: 100π% preserving income shares in x, and 100(1−π)% in equal absolute amounts. This notion can be made as operational as current standard methods in Shorrocks (1983).Publicad

Intermediate inequality and welfare : the case of Spain, 1980-81 to 1990-91

We introduce a new centrist or intermediate inequality concept, between the usual relative and absolute notions, which is shown to be a variant of the a-ray invariant inequality measures in Pfingsten and Seidl (1994). We say that distributions x and y have the same (x, n)-inequality if the total income difference between then is allocated among the individuals as follows: 1001t percent preserving income shares in x, and 100(1-1t) per cent in equal absolute amounts. This notion can be made as operational as current standard methods in Shorrocks (1983). In the first empirical application of centrist concepts in the literature, the methodology is applied to the comparison of 1980-81 and 1990-91 distributions of household expenditures in Spain

Demographic trends and living standards : the case of Spain during the 1980s

The main contribution of this paper is the study of the evolution of the standard of living in Spain during the 1980s for a population partitioned by the following individual characteristics: the age group, the relation to economic activity, and the result of the decision on whether to live in a household headed by someone else, or to live on one’s own with or without dependents. From the point of view of demographic studies, this paper is interesting because of the link established between demographic trends and an operational notion of an individual’s standard of living. This makes it possible to follow up the consequences of individual decisions by key subgroups, such as the early retired or women in general, as well as the consequences of household formation decisions by both the old and the young.En este trabajo se analiza la evolución del nivel de vida en España durante la década de los 80, a partir de diferentes particiones de la población construidas según las siguientes características individuales: edad, relación con la actividad económica, y el resultado de la decisión sobre los acuerdos de convivencia, ya sea como sustentador principal de un hogar, con o sin otros individuos dependientes, o como individuo dependiente en un hogar donde el sustentador principal es una persona distinta del propio individuo. Desde el punto de vista de los estudios de demografía económica, este trabajo es interesante debido al nexo que establece entre las tendencias demográficas, las decisiones sobre los acuerdos de convivencia entre los individuos y los niveles de vida alcanzados por los mismos. Esto permite extraer conclusiones sobre las consecuencias de las decisiones individuales adoptadas por subgrupos de especial interés como los retirados anticipadamente o las mujeres en general, así como las consecuencias de las decisiones de formación de hogares tanto en jóvenes como en mayores.Publicad

Demographic trends and living standards the case of Spain during the 1980´s

In this paper we study the evolution of the standard of living un Spain during the 1980' s for a population partitioned by the following individual characteristics: the age group, the 'relation to economic activity, and the result of the decision on whether to live in a household headed by someone else, or to live on one ' s own with or without dependents. Our results help to understand the decline ot inequality in Spain, wich has been formerly investigated only in terms of the household head' s characteristics. On the other hand, within the limits of our cross-section data, we provide sorne evidence on the economic rationale behind the individual decisions about early retirement, household formation, and the female participation in the labor market