Veronika Antošová

The impact of economic development in the Czech Republic on the income inequality between groups of households

Abstract From the results of existing conducted and published analyses of the income situation of households, some unanswered questions have emerged about whether the economic development has influenced all income groups of households by the same measure. The period observation spans 2005–2012, representing a period of economic growth, crisis and stagnation and is expressed as GDP per capita. To depict the situation of households as the main variable, the total gross income as reported in the primary survey Statistics on Income and Living Conditions of the European Union (EU SILC) has been used. The paper uses these empirical data and through mathematical functions describes the evolution of the household income situation. Similarly, an empirical investigation of total household expenditure for each commodity according to COICOP describes how the level of household spending has trended. The parameters of the selected functions allow us to analyse the nature of changes in both variables during the observed period of time. The paper aims to answer whether the function that best describes the trending of incomes and expenditures of households and the growing annual increases in the gap in both observed variables (resembling an open pair of scissors), can be used to describe the movement of both variables for different groups of households by quintile classification with an emphasis on households at risk of poverty. Different economic trends manifest themselves in different ways for selected groups of households and negatively affect income inequality.

Evaluating Living Standard Indicators

Abstract This paper deals with the evaluation of selected available indicators of living standards, divided into three groups, namely economic, environmental, and social. We have selected six countries of the European Union for analysis: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, France, and Great Britain. The aim of this paper is to evaluate indicators measuring living standards and suggest the most important factors which should be included in the final measurement. We have tried to determine what factors influence each indicator and what factors affect living standards. We have chosen regression analysis as our main method. From the study of factors, we can deduce their impact on living standards, and thus the value of indicators of living standards. Indicators with a high degree of reliability include the following factors: size and density of population, health care and spending on education. Emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also have a certain lower degree of reliability.

Income (In)Justice in the Czech Republic

Abstract The present paper deals with the income situation of households in the Czech Republic between 2005 and 2011. The subject of observation is disposable income per equalized member. We attempt to assess income inequality based on a Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve. Another point of observation is the development of the poverty level. The poverty gap is assessed using a Sen index. Special attention is paid to groups of households according to economic activity (employed, self-employed, pensioner, unemployed, other). Using Scheffe’s method of contrast, specific pairs of demonstrable differences between levels of economic activity are detected. The poverty of individual groups is assessed based on poverty level and risk-of-poverty index. The performed analyses showed that the total incomes of households within the given period were increasing, even though the year-on-year increments were gradually decreasing. The most significant increase was observed in the incomes of unemployed people, the least significant increase in the incomes of self-employed people. Social policy in the Czech Republic does mitigate poverty; however, it does not prevent the unfair development of incomes for various groups of households.