收入差距的长期变动特征及其政策启示

Inequality Dynamics in the Long-Run and Its Policy Implications

中文关键词:  收入差距  长期趋势  库兹涅茨倒U假说  皮凯蒂效应  再分配  工资不平等

英文关键词:income inequality  long-run trends  Kuznets's inverted Uhypothesis  Piketi effect  redistribution  wage inequality

中文摘要:

      从居民收入差距的长期变化特征来看,经济发展中的收入差距变动可能既没有库兹涅茨式的乐观,也没有证据支持皮凯蒂式的悲观。经济发展过程中的收入差距变动,既不存在自发的改善机制,也不存在内生的恶化机制,也许在更大程度上应当归因于具体的经济发展模式、某些具体的经济政策作用的结果。通过比较中美收入分配结构可以发现,我国收入分配中的再分配效应相对较弱；劳动力市场存在对低工资人群的保护不足,而高工资人群中的竞争不足现象。从中可以获得的启示包括,可能并不存在决定收入差距长期变动的简单机制,更应该关注经济发展具体政策的分配效应；完善再分配机制、增强对收入分布中低工资人群的保护,与强化收入分布中高工资人群的竞争激励并不矛盾,在我国收入分配政策中应当避免相反的政策组合形式。

英文摘要:

      This paper reviews the evidence on inequality dynamics in the long-run for some countries. There is no immutable feature on the changes of income inequality in the long-run, neither optimistic prediction by Kuznets nor pessimistic prospect by Piketty. The inequality dynamics might mainly depend on the growth pattern and specific policies adopted during the process of economic development. Compared the inequality and wage distribution with U.S., the paper argues that more effective redistributive policies should be executed in China, and the bottom group of wage distribution should be protected while the top tail of wage distribution should be more competitive. 