Why are some people rich and some people poor? What determines how wide the gap is in different countries? What should governments do to deal with inequality? This course looks to answer these questions that have become part of recent political, economic and social debates.
Listen to Professor Ken Mayhew and Dr Craig Holmes talking about the course:
Labour market inequality, particularly the difference in earnings between the highest paid and lowest paid, has become an important topic across many countries. Many governments agree that the gap between the best-off and worst-off has grown too large, and that as well as being unjust, such outcomes are also detrimental to other social and economic outcomes. This course looks at what determines pay in developed countries, and why this differs so much between them. It examines the role human capital - a worker's education, capabilities and skills - have played in the past, and the role it is expected to play in the future. However, it then goes beyond a human capital approach and considers what role employers and institutions play, and how, if ever, government policy can reduce inequality when more education and training isn't enough.
The course has been developed by Dr Craig Holmes and Professor Ken Mayhew, both economists at Oxford University.
For information on how the courses work, please click here.