360 research outputs found
The Effects of Expanding Education on the Distribution of Income in Cear.
education, poverty, inequality
Beyond Oaxaca-Blinder: accounting for differences in household income distributions across countries
This paper develops a micro-econometric method to account for differences across distributions of household income. Going beyond the determination of earnings in labor markets, we also estimate statistical models for occupational choice and for the conditional distributions of education, fertility and non-labor incomes. We import combinations of estimated parameters from these models to simulate counterfactual income distributions. This allows us to decompose differences between functionals of two income distributions (such as inequality or poverty measures) into shares due to differences in the structure of labor market returns (price effects); differences in the occupational structure; and differences in the underlying distribution of assets (endowment effects). We apply the method to the differences between the Brazilian income distribution and those of the United States and Mexico, and find that most of Brazil's excess income inequality is due to underlying inequalities in the distribution of two key endowments: access to education and to sources of non-labor income, mainly pensions.
Trade Liberalization, Employment Flows and Wage Inequality in Brazil
Using nationally representative, economy-wide data, this paper investigates the relative importance of trade-mandated effects on industry wage premiums; industry and economy-wide skill premiums; and employment flows in accounting for changes in the wage distribution in Brazil during the 1988-95 trade liberalization. Unlike in other Latin American countries, trade liberalization appears to have made a significant contribution towards a reduction in wage inequality. These effects have not occurred through changes in industry-specific (wage or skill) premiums. Instead, they appear to have been channelled through substantial employment flows across sectors and formality categories. Changes in the economy-wide skill premium are also important.trade liberalization, inequality, employment flows, Brazil
Rising Food Prices and Household Welfare: Evidence from Brazil in 2008
Food price inflation in Brazil in the twelve months to June 2008 was 18 percent, while overall inflation was 5.3 percent. This paper uses spatially disaggregated monthly data on consumer prices and two different household surveys to estimate the welfare consequences of these food price increases, and their distribution across households. Because Brazil is a large food producer, with a predominantly wage-earning agricultural labor force, our estimates include general equilibrium effects on market and transfer incomes, as well as the standard estimates of changes in consumer surplus. While the expenditure (or consumer surplus) effects were large, negative and markedly regressive everywhere, the market income effect was positive and progressive, particularly in rural areas. Because of this effect on the rural poor, and of the partial protection afforded by increases in two large social assistance benefits, the overall impact of higher food prices in Brazil was U-shaped, with the middle-income groups suffering larger proportional losses than the very poor. Nevertheless, since Brazil is 80 percent urban, higher food prices still led to a greater incidence and depth of poverty at the national level.food prices, welfare, poverty, inequality, price change incidence curve, Brazil
Foveal changes in aquaporinâ4 antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder are independent of optic neuritis and not overtly progressive
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Foveal changes were reported in aquaporinâ4 antibody (AQP4âAb) seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients; however, it is unclear whether they are independent of optic neuritis (ON), stem from subclinical ON or crossover from ON in fellow eyes. Fovea morphometry and a statistical classification approach were used to investigate if foveal changes in NMOSD are independent of ON and progressive. METHODS: This was a retrospective longitudinal study of 27 AQP4âIgG + NMOSD patients (49 eyes; 15 ON eyes and 34 eyes without a history of ON [NON eyes]), followâup median (first and third quartile) 2.32 (1.33â3.28), and 38 healthy controls (HCs) (76 eyes), followâup median (first and third quartile) 1.95 (1.83â2.54). The peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and the volume of combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer as measures of neuroaxonal damage from ON were determined by optical coherence tomography. Nineteen foveal morphometry parameters were extracted from macular optical coherence tomography volume scans. Data were analysed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and linear mixed effects models. RESULTS: At baseline, foveal shape was significantly altered in ON eyes and NON eyes compared to HCs. Discriminatory analysis showed 81% accuracy distinguishing ON vs. HCs and 68% accuracy in NON vs. HCs. NON eyes were distinguished from HCs by foveal shape parameters indicating widening. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis discriminated ON vs. NON with 76% accuracy. In a followâup of 2.4 (20.85) years, no significant timeâdependent foveal changes were found. CONCLUSION: The parafoveal area is altered in AQP4âAb seropositive NMOSD patients suggesting independent neuroaxonal damage from subclinical ON. Longer followâups are needed to confirm the stability of the parafoveal structure over time
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