Research Paper IZA Discussion Papers 3690

Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

Authors

Publication date

01 Sep 2008

Abstract

Using internal and public use March Current Population Survey data, we analyze trends in US income inequality (1975-2004). Using a multiple imputation approach where values for censored observations are imputed using draws from a Generalized Beta distribution of the Second Kind, we find that the upward trend in income inequality significantly slowed after 1993. Our results closely match the income share trends reported by Piketty and Saez (2003) except for within the top 1 percent of the distribution. Thus, we argue that if inequality has increased substantially since 1993, such increases are confined to this very high income group.

Links

http://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp3690.html

Notes

working paper

Related publications

1. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   Journal Article, Journal of Economic Inequality - 2011

2. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   Journal Article, Journal of Economic Inequality - 2011

3. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   ISER Working Paper Series, 2008-25 - 04 Sep 2008 - download  

4. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   ISER Working Paper Series, 2008-25 - 04 Sep 2008 - download  

5. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   Research Paper, NBER Working Paper Series, 14247 - 2008

6. Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring

   Richard V. Burkhauser, Shuaizhang Feng, Stephen P. Jenkins, et al.

   Research Paper, NBER Working Paper Series, 14247 - 2008

#511829