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Wages and Human Capital in Finance: International Evidence, 1970–2011

Author

Listed:
  • Ariell Reshef

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Hamid Boustanifar

    (BI Norwegian Business School [Oslo])

  • Everett Grant

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)

Abstract
We study the allocation and compensation of human capital in the finance industry in a set of developed economies in 1970-2011. Finance relative wages generally increase---but not in all countries, and to varying degrees. Trading-related activities account for 50% of the increases, despite accounting for only 13% of finance employment, on average. Financial deregulation is the most important factor driving up wages in finance; it has a larger effect in environments where informational rents and socially inefficient risk taking are likely to be prevalent. Differential investment in information and communication technology does not have causal explanatory power. High finance wages attract skilled international immigration to finance, raising concerns for "brain drain."

Suggested Citation

  • Ariell Reshef & Hamid Boustanifar & Everett Grant, 2017. "Wages and Human Capital in Finance: International Evidence, 1970–2011," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01472400, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-01472400
    DOI: 10.1093/rof/rfx011
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    3. Arnold, Lutz G. & Zelzner, Sebastian, 2022. "Financial trading versus entrepreneurship: Competition for talent and negative feedback effects," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 186-199.
    4. Marin, Giovanni & Vona, Francesco, 2023. "Finance and the reallocation of scientific, engineering and mathematical talent," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(5).
    5. Andrew Ellul & Marco Pagano & Annalisa Scognamiglio, 2020. "Careers in Finance," EIEF Working Papers Series 2007, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Dec 2021.
    6. Matthias Efing & Harald Hau & Patrick Kampkötter & Jean-Charles Rochet & Itay Goldstein, 2023. "Bank Bonus Pay as a Risk Sharing Contract," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 36(1), pages 235-280.
    7. Asano, Koji, 2024. "Managing financial expertise," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 351-365.
    8. Jen-Wen Chang & Simpson Zhang, 2018. "Competitive Pay and Excessive Manager Risk-taking," Working Papers 18-02, Office of Financial Research, US Department of the Treasury.
    9. Zhu, Xiaoyang & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos & Kim, Jaebeom, 2020. "Financial development and innovation-led growth: Is too much finance better?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial regulation; informational rents; allocation of talent; wage inequality.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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