In this paper we study the relationship between wage inequality and education in 13 OECD countries over the period 1985-2005 using the Luxembourgh Income Study (LIS) data. Our results show a great deal of heterogeneity in the patterns of the rate-of-return estimates across countries. On the other hand, our results confirm the finding of a general increase in wage inequality. As for the correlation between wage premia and wage inequality, the results show a positive but weak correlation between the estimates of the education return and the Gini index and between the convexity of wage premia and wage inequality. The results show that the increase in wage inequality in the countries considered can only partially be accounted for by observable characteristics such as education and educational premia; i.e., it is largely residual in its nature.

In 2001 the Italian tertiary education system embarked in a broad process of reform. The main novelty brought by the reform was a reduction of the length of study to get a first level degree together with the introduction of a two-years, second level, master degree. This paper aims at studying the effects of the reform in terms of fairness. To this end, we first define fairness criteria following a well developed theory of equality of opportunity, we then discuss existing inequality measures consistent with these criteria, we show their relationship, and adapt them to the educational framework. We finally employ this set of measures to show the evolution of fairness in the access to university in Italy before and after the reform. Although not all fairness measures we estimated show a higher degree of fairness after the reform, the large majority does, suggesting a positive effect of the reform under a vast range of possible definitions of fairness.

We employ a two-step approach in investigating the dynamic transmission channels under which globalization factors foster technical efficiency by combining a dynamic efficiency analysis in the stochastic frontier framework, and a time series approach based on VAR and spectral analysis. Using the dataset of the 18 EU countries over 1970–2004, we find that both import and FDI are significant factors in spreading efficiency externalities and thus accelerating technology catch-up in the EU. In particular, the impacts of the import are more prominent in the short-run while those of FDI play a more important role over the longer-run. Furthermore, the impacts of the import are pro-cyclical only in the short-run whereas those of FDI are pro-cyclical mostly over the medium- to the long-run. This evidence is broadly consistent with the sample observation that the recent slowdown of the EU productivity has been closely related to the corresponding FDI decline especially after 2000. Hence, any protection-oriented policy will be likely to be more detrimental for the EU.

In this paper we propose a definition of fairness in education which is based onthe theory of equality of opportunity developed in the last decades in the philosophical and economic literature (Roemer,1998; Fleurbaey, 2008), we derive opportunity inequality measures based on such conceptual framework, and we use these measures to evaluate the 1999 reform of the Italian university system (the so called “3+2" reform). Looking at 1995-2004 college graduates data our estimates show an improvement in the equality of opportunity in the access to university. However, the aggregated data available for the 2005-2008 suggest that such a positive effect may vanish in the medium run.

The purpose of this reply is twofold. First, we discuss the major point raised by Stark and Lukasz (Review of Development Economics 17, no. 1 (2013):156–62), i.e. the fact that a framework which explicitly considers asymmetric information is correct and would imply a reversal of our finding. Although, we acknowledge that the mechanism highlighted by the authors is an alternative explanation to return decisions, we argue that the suggested framework is unsuitable in the specific context analyzed in our paper (as well as most real-world situations). Instead, the assumptions underlying our simple theoretical model are strictly linked to data availability in order to perform a sensible empirical analysis. Second, we present a slightly different version of the model proposed in the original article that overcomes possible inconsistencies on the saving behavior of the migrants. Although all the computations are shown in one of the articles cited in our published paper, we now prefer to show them fully in this issue of the Review. The conclusions of our theoretical model do not change. Hence, we conclude that the empirical evidence of the original article—which is the main contribution of our work—is supported by a robust framework.

In an earlier paper the authors proposed a two-step approach to examine dynamic transmission mechanism under which globalization factors foster technology efficiency. In this paper the MSS model is extended by combining a panel threshold regression technique. This threshold stochastic frontier panel data model enables the analysis of regime-specific stochastic frontiers and complex time-varying patterns of technical efficiencies in a robust manner. Using a dataset of 44 countries over 1970–2007, income elasticities of labor and capital and time-varying common efficiencies are found to be substantially different under superior and inferior frontiers. Capital and labor inputs are more productive under superior frontier. More importantly, common efficiencies have steadily increased under superior frontier, but technical efficiency has monotonically decreased for low income countries, supporting the so-called club convergence hypothesis. Furthermore, the VAR-based impulse response analyses suggest that openness factors through FDI and trade help the countries to improve production technology and efficiency position relative to the frontier only after the country has reached a certain level of development.

Given the growing availability of big datasets which contain information on multiple dimensions and following the recent research trend on multidimensional modelling, we develop three-dimensional panel data models with threeway error components that allow for strong cross-sectional dependence (CSD) through unobserved heterogeneous global factors, and propose appropriate consistent estimation procedures. We also discuss the extent of CSD in 3D models and provide a diagnostic test for cross-sectional dependence. We provide the extensions to unbalanced panels and 4D models. The validity of the proposed approach is confirmed by the Monte Carlo simulation results. We also demonstrate the empirical usefulness through the application to the 3D panel gravity model of the intra-EU trade flows

This paper proposes a unified framework for accommodating both time and cross-sectional dependence in modelling technical efficiency in stochastic frontier models by combining the exogenously driven factor-based approach and an endogenous threshold efficiency regime selection mechanism. This approach is able to deal with both weak and strong cross-sectional dependence in a flexible manner. Using a dataset of 26 OECD countries over 1970–2010, we provide satisfactory estimation results for the production technology parameters and the associated efficiency ranking of individual countries. We find a positive spillover effect on efficiency, supporting the hypothesis that knowledge spillover is more likely to be induced by technological proximity. Furthermore, our approach enables us to identify efficiency clubs endogenously.

This paper studies the distribution of well-being and, specifically, the degree of poverty and deprivation in Albania, during 2002 and 2005, using Living Standard Measurement Surveys (LSMS). The distribution analysis is performed by applying both one-dimensional and multidimensional approaches, in particular to better examine the link between economic growth, inequality and poverty in Albania. Furthermore, by estimating a non-monetary indicator, as proposed by Bossert et al. (2007), and a non-linear principal component model together with a probit model, the paper focuses on the multidimensional measures of poverty to address the relationship between poverty and socio-economic factors. Our evidence shows that absolute poverty decreased from 2002 to 2005 while national relative poverty increased; economic growth reduced poverty in Albania over the observed period; and living in rural and mountain areas, being female, low educated and with large family increased the probability of suffering from deprivation.

This paper studies the cross-country differences in conventional measures of inequality of opportunity in Europe in the space of individual disposable incomes. Exploiting two recent waves of the EUSILC database reporting information on family background (2005 and 2011), we provide estimates of inequality of opportunity in about 30 European countries for two sufficiently distant data points, allowing a check of consistency for country rankings. In addition, we exploit two observations available for most of the countries to explore the relationship between many institutional dimensions and inequality of opportunity, finding evidence of negative correlation with educational expenditure (especially at the pre-primary level) and passive labour market policies.

This paper analyses the return plans of irregular migrants by stressing the role of individual skills and network effects. We propose a simple two-period life-cycle model that we test using individuallevel data on irregular migrants in Italy and on undocumented Mexicans in the USA. Our evidence shows that highly skilled clandestine migrants are more likely to return home than migrants with low or no skills. We argue this result is due to constraints imposed by the irregular status on migrants’ ability to fully use human capital in the destination country. However, the presence of strong social networks may lessen this effect.

In this paper we study the relationship between wage inequality and education in 13 OECD countries over the period 1985-2005 using the Luxembourgh Income Study (LIS) data. Our results show a great deal of heterogeneity in the patterns of the rate-of-return estimates across countries. On the other hand, our results confi rm the fi nding of a general increase in wage inequality. As for the correlation between wage premia and wage inequality, the results show a positive but weak correlation between the estimates of the education return and the Gini index and between the convexity of wage premia and wage inequality. The results show that the increase in wage inequality in the countries considered can only partially be accounted for by observable characteristics such as education and educational premia; i.e., it is largely residual in its nature.

In this paper we use the EU-SILC data 2005 to estimate the private rates of return to higher education in 22 European countries. By implementing a Heckman selection model and an instrumental variables estimator we study the effects of schooling on employment and wages and compare them across European countries. Our results show a great deal of heterogeneity in the rate-of-return estimates across countries. Although a clear grouping of countries does not emerges, we observe that the returns to tertiary education appear generally high for Eastern countries and low for Nordic countries whereas the Mediterranean and Continental European countries mostly exhibit an intermediate position.