Compensating Wage Differentials in Labor Markets: Empirical Challenges and Applications
梳理了补偿性工资差异模型从横截面到面板数据的实证研究进展，讨论了未观测人力资本、劳动力市场摩擦等偏差问题，并介绍了利用雇主-雇员匹配数据和准随机变化的新方法，以及其在公共健康政策与收入不平等测量中的应用。
The model of compensating wage differentials is among the cornerstone models of equilibrium wage determination in labor economics. However, empirical estimates of compensating differentials have faced persistent credibility challenges. This article summarizes the Rosen model of compensating differentials and chronicles the advances, setbacks, and lessons learned from empirical studies. The progression from cross-sectional to panel models alleviated biases caused by unobserved human capital but yielded new insights into the importance of other biases, including those caused by labor market frictions and endogenous job mobility. I discuss recent approaches that use matched employer-employee data and quasi-random variation in job amenities to address some of these challenges. I then present two examples of applications of compensating differentials: the evaluation public health and safety policies that rely on the value of statistical life, and the measurement and interpretation of earnings inequality.