Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
3-2009
Abstract
This study compared intergenerational earnings mobility in Singapore and the United States by replicating the sample criteria in the Singapore National Youth Survey on the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The mean estimated earnings elasticities are almost identical: 0.26 in Singapore and 0.28 in the United States. Transformed to 0.44 and 0.47 respectively to reflect permanent status, mobility in the two countries is moderately low compared internationally. The finding of similar mobility is not surprising given that the two countries have similar economic realities, welfare systems, education regimes, and labor structures. Policy makers face the daunting challenge of overcoming immobility and inequality while maintaining global competitiveness.
Keywords
Intergenerational earnings mobility, Singapore, United States
Discipline
Asian Studies | Economics | Public Economics
Research Areas
Macroeconomics
Publication
Journal of Asian Economics
Volume
20
Issue
2
First Page
110
Last Page
119
ISSN
1049-0078
Identifier
10.1016/j.asieco.2008.09.010
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
NG, Irene Y. H.; SHEN, Xiaoyi; and HO, Kong Weng.
Intergenerational Earnings Mobility in Singapore and the United States. (2009). Journal of Asian Economics. 20, (2), 110-119.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soe_research/1631
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asieco.2008.09.010