Does Economic Complexity Reduce Income Inequality? An Empirical Investigation on Turkish Economy

Öz

The production of knowledge and technology-intensive products is vital for countries to increase their global competitiveness. The products that require a more complex production process instead of primary products create added value and provide various advantages. Besides, because technology-intensive production requires skilled labor, it affects the institutional structure as well as the economic structure. In this structure, fair income distribution is one of the most basic human development conditions. Economic complexity, which measures the intensity of knowledge and technology in production, positively affects economic growth and leads to various consequences on income inequality. In this direction, it was aimed to test the relationship between income inequality, economic complexity, and openness indicators with the data set for the period 1987-2017 by using FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR estimators for the Turkish economy. The first established model concluded that economic complexity, economic growth, and human capital decrease income inequality, whereas the population increases. According to the second model results, foreign direct investments increase income inequality, and trade openness decreases. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Economic Complexity
• Economic Growth
• Income Inequality
• Income Distribution
• Human Capital

Ekonomik Karmaşıklık Gelir Eşitsizliğini Azaltır Mı? Türkiye Ekonomisi Üzerine Ampirik Bir İnceleme

Öz

Ülkelerin küresel rekabet gücünü artırabilmeleri için bilgi ve teknoloji-yoğunluklu ürünlerin üretilmesi hayati bir öneme sahiptir. Birincil ürünler yerine daha karmaşık üretim süreci gerektiren mal ve hizmetlerin üretilmesi, yarattığı katma değere bağlı olarak ülke ekonomisinde önemli avantajlar sağlamaktadır. Bunun yanında teknoloji-yoğun üretim, nitelikli işgücü gerektirdiği için ekonomik yapıyla beraber kurumsal yapıyı da etkilemektedir. Bu yapı içerisinde insani gelişim açısından adil gelir dağılımı en temel koşulların başında gelmektedir. Üretimdeki bilgi ve teknoloji yoğunluğunu ölçen ekonomik karmaşıklık, ekonomik büyümeyi pozitif etkilemekle birlikte gelir eşitsizliği üzerinde de bazı sonuçlara yol açmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, Türkiye ekonomisi için 1987-2017 dönemine ait veri seti ile gelir eşitsizliği, ekonomik karmaşıklık ve dışa açıklık göstergeleri arasındaki ilişkinin FMOLS, DOLS ve CCR tahmincileri ile test edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Kurulan ilk modelde ekonomik karmaşıklık, ekonomik büyüme ve beşeri sermayenin gelir eşitsizliğini azalttığı, nüfusun ise artırdığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. İkinci modelin sonuçlarına göre doğrudan yabancı yatırımlar gelir eşitsizliğini artırmakta, ticari açıklık ise azaltmaktadır. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ekonomik Karmaşıklık
• Ekonomik Büyüme
• Gelir Eşitsizliği
• Gelir Dağılımı
• Beşeri Sermaye

Kaynakça

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