Measuring Wealth and Wealth Inequality: Comparing Two U.S. Surveys.

Q3 Social Sciences

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Pub Date : 2016-01-01 Epub Date: 2016-06-21 DOI:10.3233/JEM-160421

Fabian T Pfeffer, Robert F Schoeni, Arthur Kennickell, Patricia Andreski

引用次数: 54

Abstract

Household wealth and its distribution are topics of broad public debate and increasing scholarly interest. We compare the relative strength of two of the main data sources used in research on the wealth holdings of U.S. households, the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), by providing a description and explanation of differences in the level and distribution of wealth captured in these two surveys. We identify the factors that account for differences in average net worth but also show that estimates of net worth are similar throughout most of the distribution. Median net worth in the SCF is 6% higher than in the PSID and the largest differences between the two surveys are concentrated in the 1-2 percent wealthiest households, leading to a different view of wealth concentration at the very top but similar results for wealth inequality across most of the distribution.

查看原文本刊更多论文

衡量财富和财富不平等:比较两项美国调查。

家庭财富及其分配是公众广泛讨论的话题，也引起了越来越多的学术兴趣。我们比较了美国家庭财富持有研究中使用的两个主要数据来源的相对强度，消费者财务调查(SCF)和收入动态小组研究(PSID)，通过描述和解释这两个调查中捕获的财富水平和分配的差异。我们确定了导致平均净资产差异的因素，但也表明，在大多数分布中，对净资产的估计是相似的。SCF的净资产中位数比PSID高6%，两项调查之间的最大差异集中在最富有的1- 2%的家庭中，这导致了对最顶层财富集中的不同看法，但对大多数分布的财富不平等的结果相似。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Social Sciences-Social Sciences (all)

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Economic and Social Measurement (JESM) is a quarterly journal that is concerned with the investigation of all aspects of production, distribution and use of economic and other societal statistical data, and with the use of computers in that context. JESM publishes articles that consider the statistical methodology of economic and social science measurements. It is concerned with the methods and problems of data distribution, including the design and implementation of data base systems and, more generally, computer software and hardware for distributing and accessing statistical data files. Its focus on computer software also includes the valuation of algorithms and their implementation, assessing the degree to which particular algorithms may yield more or less accurate computed results. It addresses the technical and even legal problems of the collection and use of data, legislation and administrative actions affecting government produced or distributed data files, and similar topics. The journal serves as a forum for the exchange of information and views between data producers and users. In addition, it considers the various uses to which statistical data may be put, particularly to the degree that these uses illustrate or affect the properties of the data. The data considered in JESM are usually economic or social, as mentioned, but this is not a requirement; the editorial policies of JESM do not place a priori restrictions upon the data that might be considered within individual articles. Furthermore, there are no limitations concerning the source of the data.