• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.299-312
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• 2006

This study examines the relations among wage differentials, trade, and productivity in Korea, using the methodology of Granger causality and vector error correction modelling. Cointegration test results over the 1975-2004 period indicate that all the test variables are cointegrated. Therefore, wage differentials, trade, and productivity are all related in the long run. We found some evidence on long-run relationship, while there is no short-run relationship between three test variables. First, trade and wage differentials have positively and bi-directionally Granger causality in the long-run. Second, productivity Granger causes negatively wage differentials in the long-run. Finally, productivity Granger causes positively trade in the long-run. These results explain partially the current theoretical predictions for wage inequality as well as supports the productivity-led growth hypothesis in the Korean economy.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.1-31
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• 2007

The purpose of this paper is to analyse wage differentials between non-regular and regular works. Data from EAPS(Economically Active Population Survey) 2005 show that the monthly wage level of non-regular worker is only 63% of regular worker and thus there exist 37% wage differentials. However, these wage differentials do not control for hours of work, the amount of human capital, job characteristics, and other individual characteristics affecting wages. If these variables are added to the hourly wage regression equation, the wage gap between non-regular and regular workers drastically decreases to 2.2%. Furthermore, decomposition of the wage differentials by Oaxaca method shows that productivity difference between non-regular and regular workers explains up to 91% of the wage gap. This implies that the magnitude of wage discrimination against non-regular workers is at most 0.2% of hourly wage of regular workers. To control for unobserved individual heterogeneities more accurately, we also construct panel data and estimate wage differentials. The results from the panel data approach show that there is no difference in the hourly wages between non-regular and regular workers. In some specifications, the wage rate of non-regular worker is rather higher than that of regular worker. These results are consistent with economic theory. Other things being equal, workers with unstable employment may require higher wages to compensate their unstability. Firms are willing to pay higher wages if they can get more flexibility from non-regular employment. Empirical results in this paper cast doubt on the view that there is wage discrimination against non-regular workers in the labor market. Public policies should be targeted for disadvantaged groups among non-regular workers, not for non-regular workers in general.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.1-26
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• 2009

Using panel data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(KLlPS), we examine the wage differentials between standard and Don-standard workers. To control for unobserved individual heterogeneities, we estimate the fixed effect models. Our results show that the OLS estimates are upwardly biased. We also find that labor unions and firm size are important determinants of the wage differentials.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.3-20
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore the heterogeneity of compensating wage differentials for outdoor workers, under the threat of climate change and heatwave, by region and by wage quantile. This study conducted Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, multiple regression analysis by region, and unconditional quantile regression analysis using the Korean Working Conditions Survey, which provides individual-level information on the working environment and worker's characteristics. The implications derived from the results of the study are as follows: For most variables, the endowment effect and the price effect were greater for indoor workers, while experience and gender played a role in narrowing the wage gap; The compensating wage differentials for outdoor workers were confirmed to be 2.4% nationwide, depending on the region however, the compensating wage differentials varied from 5 times of national average to nothing statistically significant; The higher the wage quantile, the greater the compensating wage differentials for outdoor workers, and statistically significant monetary compensation was not identified for some low-level outdoor workers. This study is meaningful as an early study that revealed the heterogeneity of compensating wage differentials for outdoor workers and suggested further research on the topic.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.45-59
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to analyze the static and dynamic change of wage differentials of women with disabilities in the Seoul local labor market. This study attempts to explain the double discrimination mechanism for disabled women and empirically gender discrimination and disability discrimination for them by using Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis. In addition, using Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition analysis. we analyze the wage differentials caused by the changed characteristics of disabled women and structures of discrimination at the Seoul local labor market. Data from the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled and Korean Labor and Income Panel Study for two years (2008, 2012) are used. According to the result, wage differentials of disabled women caused by disability discrimination is approximately 55% of total wage discrimination, whereas 45% is caused by gender discrimination during the period. Both observed and unobserved components move in the same direction to narrow wage differentials due to the disability discrimination and gender discrimination. Also the endowments in the Seoul local labor market about the changes of observed and unobserved components contribute more to narrow gender wage differentials, while these endowments widen disability wage differentials.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.119-139
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• 2011

Using a establishment-worker matched data, this paper estimates wage differentials between standard and non-standard workers. Unlike previous studies, we estimate a fixed-effect model for the tree-way error-components that control for both unobserved individual heterogeneities and unobserved firm heterogeneities. The estimation results show that standard workers earn 6.5~8.4% mire than non-standard workers. This wage premium is 30~40% of the wage differential estimated from the OLS model. The results implies that a large proportion of the wage differentials between standard and non standard workers can be explained by unobserved firm and individual characteristics.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.53-77
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• 2011

The last decade has witnessed a surge of research interest in differences between regular and irregular workers in employment forms. Recent studies on estimating wage differentials between the two types of workers in employment forms have typically used the linear regression analysis. Our study utilizes a new methodology to estimate wage differentials between the two types of workers: data matching. Our method can perform better than the ordinary regression analysis because it carefully addresses the selection bias problem. Our results indicate that there is no significant difference in wage between regular and irregular workers.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.63-94
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• 2001

Based on the human capital theory, the wage differentials among laborers are generated from the discrepancy of human capital stock which depends on individual laborer's decision. Hence, the wage differentials among laborers or between male and female are not the results of discrimination, but the results of individual choice. But, if the individual choice for human capital stock would be affected by the male-female discrimination, the explanation for male-female wage differentials base on the human capital stock has a bias. Actually, women have experienced in the discrimination on labor market participation due to gravity, parturition, infant rearing. Also, it is a fact that women have been discriminated against men in labor market owing to social, traditional, and cultural discriminations. If woman or her parent will less invest on human capital than man owing to the existence of discrimination in labor market, the 'expected human capital stock' instead of human capital stock will explain male-female wage differentials better. Therefore, in this study, we set up three models; first model includes working hours, industry, occupation, etc which are in general used as explanatory variables for wage decision, second model includes the variables which reflect the traditional human capital stock together with the first model's explanatory variables, third model employes the 'expected human capital stock' instead of traditional human capital stock. From the empirical test, the estimates of discrimination in three models are .93, .60, and, .48 respectively. This result implies that the male-female wage differentials in Korea can be explained by the discrepancy of 'expected human capital stock'. Since the discrepancy in expected human capital stock depend on the disparity in life-cycle labor force participation, male-female wage differentials can largely be attributed to male-female disparity in expected lifetime labor force participation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.4151-4160
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• 2010

Recently the arts and cultural sector is drawing attention as a new growth engine of the Korean economy. The paper is empirically analyzed on the gender wage differentials in the arts and cultural sector and specially focused on decomposing the wage differentials between the manufacturing sector and the arts and cultural sector. Our results may be partly useful for explaining the existing phenomenon of the arts and cultural sector in Korean labor markets, for example, young, highly educated, part-time contracts, less gender discrimination, etc. The results might provide somehow the policy directions of reducing the gender wage differentials.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.103-138
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• 2011

This paper examines the changes in relative wage of top 10 college graduates to the other college graduates among the age group of 26-28 years using Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS). From 1999 to 2008, the wage differential between top 10 college graduates and the other college graduates increased in South Korea. This wage differential seems to persist along with their age. Within industry wage differential among college graduates also rose but in the late 2000s it became smaller than the wage differential within firm size and industry. Increase in elite college wage premium has led to recent changes in college wage premium.