In this paper we examine the importance of imperfect competition in product and labour markets in determining the long-run welfare effects of tax reforms assuming agent heterogeneneity in capital holdings. Each of these market failures, independently, results in welfare losses for at least a segment of the population, after a capital tax cut and a concurrent labour tax increase. However, when c...

Using a two-agent model comprised of capitalists and workers, this paper examines the importance of imperfect competition in product and labour markets in determining the welfare effects of tax reform. The reform considered consists of eliminating the capital tax alongside a concurrent rise in the labour tax. In contrast to the perfectly competitive model, models with product or labour market f...

A distinguishing feature of labor services is that they are immediately perishable. This paper explores the implications of immediate perishability for the market for homogenous labor services that are sold in a centralized exchange. The analysis sheds light on the nature of unemployment. The paper also explores implications for the role of labor cartels and firms in providing workers an altern...

This paper inverts the usual logic of applied optimal income taxation. It starts from the observed distribution of income before and after redistribution and corresponding marginal tax rates. Under a set of simplifying assumptions, it is then possible to recover the social welfare function that would make the observed marginal tax rate schedule optimal. In this framework, the issue of the optim...

We characterize pension systems along three dimensions: 1) actuarial vs. nonactuarial, 2) funded vs. pay-as-you-go, 3) defined-contribution vs. defined-benefit. Increasing the degree of actuarial fairness, by strengthening the linkage between contributions and benefits, reduces labor market distortions and may increase welfare in a Pareto-efficiency sense. Increasing the degree of funding impli...

We argue that compensating losers is more difficult for immigration than for trade and capital movements. While a tax-cum-subsidy mechanism allows the government to turn the gains from trade into a Pareto improvement, the same is not true for the so-called immigration surplus, if the redistributive mechanism is not allowed to discriminate against migrants. We discuss policy conclusions to be dr...

The rationale for government policies aimed at promoting market work by women is examined according to the criteria of efficiency and equity. Efficiency involves the issues of market failure and labor market discrimination. Equity involves the comparative economic well-being of women relative to men. The case for interventionist policies on behalf of women isfound to be weak on efficiency groun...