Três ensaios sobre estrutura produtiva, distribuição de renda e crise econômica no Brasil

Abstract

The problem of income inequality remains after centuries of theoretical and practical efforts. This situation arises from limitations in the complete understanding of this phenomenon. In this sense, this thesis aims to study economic growth and the sectors of economic activity within the context of income distribution, based on the hypothesis that inequality arises within the productive structure, given that labor income is the main and source of income for almost all Brazilians. For this, theories and tools consecrated in the literature were analyzed, contextualizing them to Brazil and the current period, in order to identify gaps and limitations, from which it was possible to reflect and suggest alternative solutions, innovating and allowing progress in some analysis optics. Thus, three essays were developed that approach the theme in different points. The objective of the first essay was to test the Williamson-Kuznets curve hypothesis, from intraregional and interregional points of view, using the econometric methodology of panel data by state for the period from 1985 to 2018, from microdata IBAD PNAD and SCN data. This is one of the main theories that deal with the relationship between economic growth, income inequality and economic sectors, which is why it is revisited. Here, the innovation consists in the joining of the theories of Kuznets and Williamson in the same methodological framework, starting from the hypothesis that both of them use the dual economy approach as a basis to explain the evolution of inequality in an “inverted U” format. In addition, interregional optics have been included in the analysis, which has not yet been explored in previous studies. The results of this study suggest that the Williamson-Kuznets hypothesis is not valid for Brazil in the period under analysis as well the impact of the industrial sector is the inverse of the argument of the approach of economic duality. The second essay had the purpose of filling two existing gaps in the study of income inequality from the sectoral point of view. First, the absence of an index that measures both intra- and inter-sectoral inequality, and second a classification that orders the sectors using an inequality indicator as a grouping criterion. To this end, it was proposed to adjust the Gini coefficient based on a measure of intersectoral inequality called Amplitude, which led to the Intra and Intersectoral Inequality Index (IDIIS), and the creation of a classification based on the Ward hierarchical grouping method, using IDIIS as the clustering parameter. The results obtained from the application of the proposals to the microdata of the PNAD of IBGE suggest that the indicator manages to qualify the sectors considering the level of average income in which it occurs besides the income dispersion; moreover, the classification allows working with sectors that have similarities regarding these characteristics, which simplifies the sectorial analyses. Finally, the third essay aimed to decompose income inequality over the period from 1976 to 2019 by using the tools and evidence obtained in previous studies. For this, a new methodological strategy was adopted, which is still not widely used. The RIF method of decomposition allows to dismember the concentration and composition effects. It was applied to the context of economic crises, which has become increasingly relevant in the economic literature given the increasing intensity and frequency. The results showed that the changes occurred in the Brazilian productive structure are contributing to the reduction of inequality especially from the sectors with the worst IDIIS. Nevertheless, it is also evident that these changes are impacting on the reduction of the average wage, which in the long run may compromise the purchasing power of Brazilians and the economic dynamics.