The distributional effect of commuting subsidies - Evidence from geo-referenced data and a large-scale policy reform

Heuermann, Daniel F. and Assmann, Franziska and vom Berge, Philipp and Freund, Florian (2017) The distributional effect of commuting subsidies - Evidence from geo-referenced data and a large-scale policy reform. REGIONAL SCIENCE AND URBAN ECONOMICS, 67. pp. 11-24. ISSN 0166-0462, 1879-2308

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Abstract

We use the unexpected partial repeal of a tax break for commuters in Germany to examine the distribution of benefits from commuting subsidies between workers and firms. Drawing on a large set of geo-referenced employer-employee data, we use exact route distances between place of work and place of residence to calculate individual net wage benefits from commuting subsidies. In line with urban efficiency wage theories, we find robust evidence that employers compensate workers on average for about one third of the net wage loss caused by the reform if wages are individually negotiated. We find no comparable effect for workers covered by collective wage agreements. The subsequent existence of two common subsidy regimes within an otherwise stable institutional environment allows to draw inference on how each regime redistributes income between wage groups and between regions. We find that the introduction of a lower bound for commuting distances leads to a more equal distribution of net wage benefits between wage groups and regions compared to a regime without a lower bound.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: EFFICIENCY WAGES; KINK POINTS; UNEMPLOYMENT; TAX; INEQUALITY; EMPLOYMENT; INCOME; GERMANY; IMPACT; Public policy; Commuting; Taxation; Wages
Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
Divisions: Business, Economics and Information Systems > Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre und Ökonometrie > Lehrstuhl für Empirische Makroökonomie und Regionalökonomie (Prof. Dr. Joachim Möller)
Business, Economics and Information Systems > Institut für Immobilienenwirtschaft / IRE|BS > Lehrstuhl für Empirische Makroökonomie und Regionalökonomie (Prof. Dr. Joachim Möller)
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 14 Dec 2018 13:19
Last Modified: 18 Feb 2019 13:17
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/1974

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