D31 - Personal Income, Wealth, and Their DistributionsReturn

The study contributes to the body of knowledge on job-related and individual characteristics determining the earnings of those working as employees. A multivariate analysis of the 2010 and 2015 European Survey on Working Conditions data (N=1,168) documents the differences in earnings across studied variables, such as gender, educational level, the skill level of profession, years of experience or perceived discrimination. The obtained results are interpreted in line with the prior research. It follows from the main findings that the highest earnings are observed among managerial professions and the lowest among the least skilled occupations. Returns to education are increasing with the obtained level of formal education and are highest for doctoral studies graduates. The positive impact has also years of experience and the number of working hours per week. Quite surprisingly, the conducted analysis does not prove any significant effect of discrimination (sexual orientation, religion, disability, race, ethnic background or colour) on individuals' earnings. The study might be of interest to the Czech labour market researchers and policymakers as it, besides the analysis, provides several future research suggestions.

The paper focuses on the issue of income inequality, which is an integral part of currently developed economies. Accesses to mitigation provided by the government to a large extent by means of transfer payments may be different. The aim of this paper is to find out whether there are mutual links between selected indicators of income inequality and how they change after the inclusion of transfer payments. The data contains the following indicators: the Gini index before and after a transfer payment and the coefficient S80/S20. For the purposes of achieving the main objective of the paper, there is the correlation analysis uses. Based on the results there is very strong dependence between the Gini index and the coefficient S80/S20. Their ability to describe the system is almost the same. The relationship between these indicators of income inequality and the Gini index before transfer payments is only middle positive dependency because a transfer payment is different in more aspects.

The paper presents a comparative analysis of living situation in the Czech Republic and in Western Europe at the beginning and at the end of the decade 2000 - 2010. The primary thesis was the convergence of living situation during the analyzed period. The evaluation criteria were consumption expenditures of households. The aim was to obtain the base for related economic analyses and background for creating business or marketing strategies. The method used was cluster analysis supplemented by basic descriptive statistics. Classification system for evaluation expenditure structures was the standard "Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose" designed by the UN Statistical Division. Comparability of absolute values of expenditures was ensured by conversions to the Purchasing Power Standard. As a result the convergence of absolute amounts and relative structures of consumer expenditures was identified. As to structures of consumption expenditures the Czech Republic stood out the set of analyzed countries. This was probably due to non-economic factors dealt by the theory of cultural affinity zones. The conclusion is confirmation of the thesis on living situation convergence, i. e. improving living conditions of Czech households in relation to Western European households between years 2000 and 2010. The evaluation, however, applies only to the sum of consumption expenditures. In terms of selected expenditure groups the situation of Czech households got worse during the examined period. According to the results the real improvement of living conditions also lagged behind the growth of the market value of final domestic product, while GDP is often being presented (especially by media) as an indicator of life situation.