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Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent"

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Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent"

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Author: Autor, D. H.
Department: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date Issued: 2014-05
Abstract:
The singular focus of public debate on the “top 1 percent” of households overlooks the component of earnings inequality that is arguably most consequential for the “other 99 percent” of citizens: the dramatic growth in the wage premium associated with higher education and cognitive ability. This Review documents the central role of both the supply and demand for skills in shaping inequality, discusses why skill demands have persistently risen in industrialized countries, and considers the economic value of inequality alongside its potential social costs. I conclude by highlighting the constructive role for public policy in fostering skills formation and preserving economic mobility.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96768
ISSN: 0036-8075
1095-9203
Citation: Autor, D. H. “Skills, Education, and the Rise of Earnings Inequality Among the ‘Other 99 Percent.’” Science 344, no. 6186 (May 22, 2014): 843–851.
Version: Author's final manuscript
Terms of Use: Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Published As: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1251868
Journal: Science

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