Rekha Ravindran on the relationship between structural transformation and income inequality

Rekha Ravindran will present at the WIDER Seminar Series on 28 October. 

Abstract - The relationship between structural transformation and income inequality in developing economies

Though industrialization is postulated as the traditional way out of underdevelopment, many developing economies are facing deindustrialization and increasing tertiarization of the economy. We examine how these changes in sectoral composition of labour affect the income inequality across various regions and income groups. We use the Standardized WIID (SWIID) dataset for income inequality and WESO dataset for measuring sectoral employment share.

Further, we examine the effect of change in employment share of - manufacture, market services and non-market services - on income inequality. We also decompose the effect of structural transformation on labour productivity and examine whether those who experienced growth enhancing structural transformation are facing an increase in income inequality compared to those economies which experienced a growth depressing structural transformation.

About the speaker

Rekha Ravindran is a PhD fellow at UNU-WIDER, pursuing her PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology. 

WIDER Seminar Series

The WIDER Seminar Series showcases recent and ongoing work on key topics in development economics. The weekly sessions held in Helsinki are open to local and visiting researchers, policy makers, and others interested in development topics. Click here to learn more.

Seminars will be live streamed on Facebook and recordings and presentations will be available after the event here.

For more information email tomi@wider.unu.edu