Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent"
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 Rev...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96768 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6915-9381 |
| _version_ | 1811076625424449536 |
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| author | Autor, David H. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics Autor, David H. |
| author_sort | Autor, David H. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:25:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/96768 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T10:25:04Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/967682022-09-30T20:56:55Z Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" Autor, David H. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics Autor, David H. Autor, David H. 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. National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant SES-1227334) Russell Sage Foundation (Grant 85-12-07) Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (Grant 2011-10-12) 2015-04-23T20:04:19Z 2015-04-23T20:04:19Z 2014-05 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0036-8075 1095-9203 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96768 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. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6915-9381 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1251868 Science 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. AAAS application/pdf American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Autor via Kate McNeill |
| spellingShingle | Autor, David H. Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title | Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title_full | Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title_fullStr | Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title_full_unstemmed | Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title_short | Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the "other 99 percent" |
| title_sort | skills education and the rise of earnings inequality among the other 99 percent |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96768 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6915-9381 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT autordavidh skillseducationandtheriseofearningsinequalityamongtheother99percent |