Down from the mountain: Skill upgrading and wages in Appalachia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Appalachian region has experienced persistently higher poverty and lower earnings than the rest of the United States. We examine whether skill differentials or differences in the returns to those skills lie at the root of the Appalachian wage gap. Using census data, we decompose the Appalachian wage gap using both mean and full distribution methods. Our findings suggest that significant upgrading of skills within the region has prevented the gap from widening over the last 20 years. Additionally we find that urban areas within Appalachia have not experienced the rise in returns to skills as in non-Appalachian urban areas.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)819-857
Number of pages39
JournalJournal of Labor Economics
Volume29
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Industrial relations
  • Economics and Econometrics

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