Xiao, J. J., Malroutu, Y. L. & Yuh, Y. (1999). Sources
of income inequality among the elderly. Financial Counseling and Planning,
10
(2), 49-59.
Sources Of Income Inequality
Among The Elderly
Jing J. Xiao1, Y.
Lakshmi Malroutu2
and Yoonkyung
Yuh3
Sources of inequality among American households with a retired elderly
head were examined by decomposition of Gini coefficients. Inequality of
investment and labor income contributed most to overall income inequality.
Income inequality of three types of households — couples with one retiree,
retired couples, and retired singles — were studied in terms of sources
of income inequality. Inequality of investment income contributed most
to income inequality for retired singles and for retired couples.
Key Words: Income inequality, Gini coefficients, Retirement, Survey
of Consumer Finances
1. Jing J. Xiao, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island,
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Quinn – CHSS, Kingston,
RI 02881. Phone: 401-874-4036. Fax: 401-874-2581. E-mail: xiao@uri.edu
2. Y. Lakshmi Malroutu, Associate Professor, Queens College, CUNY,
Department of Family, Nutrition, & Exercise Sciences, Flushing, NY
11367. Phone: 718-997-4159. Fax: 718-997-4163 . E-mail: lma$heco@QC1.QC.EDU
3. Yoonkyung Yuh , Instructor, Department of Consumer Science and
Human Development , Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. Phone:016-238-6411
. Fax: 822-2124-4166 . E-mail: yoonkyung17@hanmail.net
Acknowledgment: We are grateful to Thesia Garner, U. S. Department
of Labor, for providing the SAS code for calculating the decomposition
of the Gini coefficient. We appreciate helpful comments on earlier versions
of this paper from Sherman Hanna and three anonymous reviewers, and session
participants at the 1998 Annual Conference of Association for Financial
Counseling and Planning Education.
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