Roberto Pinheiro and Meifeng Yang
The Evolution of the Labor Share across Developed Countries
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 2018
What's inside?
The reasons for labor share declines in the United States and other developed countries differ.
Recommendation
Debates about the impacts of income inequality and globalization often turn to the diminished role of labor in an economy. Though labor share – “the percentage of economic output that accrues to workers as labor compensation” – has declined in numerous developed countries, the reasons for its drop vary among the different economies, according to this scholarly report from researchers Roberto Pinheiro and Meifeng Yang. They explore various explanations for the shift, but they home in on the impacts of changes in economies and the substitution of technology for human capital. Economists, labor analysts and policy experts will find this succinct but technical analysis a worthwhile read.
Summary
About the Authors
Robert Pinheiro and Meifeng Yang are researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
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