This study estimates the effects of import competition from Asia on the labor income inequality of Japanese manufacturing workers, considering firm and worker heterogeneity. Parameters are obtained from regression results of annual salary by using constructed worker–establishment panel data. The estimated salary change is positively and negatively larger for higher- and lower-paid workers, respectively, implying that labor income inequality among industry–size–skill–gender groups has increased due to imports from Asia. However, the actual evolution of income inequality during 1998–2014 is not successfully explained by Asian imports: other shocks overshadow import competition to determine actual income inequality.

考虑到公司和工人的异质性，本研究估计了亚洲进口竞争对日本制造业工人的劳动收入不平等的影响。通过使用构造的工人-工厂面板数据从年薪的回归结果中获取参数。高薪和低薪工人的估计工资变化分别为正和负，分别表明来自亚洲的进口导致行业规模，技能，性别群体之间的劳动收入不平等加剧。但是，1998-2014年期间收入不平等的实际演变未能成功地用亚洲进口来解释：其他冲击使确定实际收入不平等的进口竞争黯然失色。