Sources of Income Persistence: Evidence from Rural El Salvador

This paper uses a unique panel dataset (1995-2001) of rural El Salvador to investigate the main sources of the persistence and variability of incomes. We propose an econometric framework where a general dynamic panel model is validly reduced to a simple linear structure with a dynamic covariance str...

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Autores principales: Sosa Escudero, Walter, Marchionni, Mariana, Arias, Omar
Formato: Objeto de conferencia
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2006
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Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/169310
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Sumario:This paper uses a unique panel dataset (1995-2001) of rural El Salvador to investigate the main sources of the persistence and variability of incomes. We propose an econometric framework where a general dynamic panel model is validly reduced to a simple linear structure with a dynamic covariance structure, which augments considerably the number of degrees of freedom usually lost in the construction of instruments to estimate standard dynamic panel models. We find that life-cycle incomes are largely explained by the relatively time-invariant productive characteristics of families and their members such as education, public goods and other assets. Controlling for unobserved heterogeneity leaves little room for pure state dependence.