FUTURE-TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME INEQUALITY IN THE NETHERLANDS

The participation of female partners, in other words women who are eit her married or live with someone, in the labour force in the Netherlan ds has increased in recent decades. This article examines the conseque nces of this increase for future trends in income inequality at the in dividual as well as the household level. Using data from the successiv e AVO surveys (1979 - 1991), women's participation in the labour force is estimated for the key variables of age and level of education. The results are used to predict income inequality up to the year 2011. Th e results show opposing trends for individual and household income ine quality. Individual income inequality will rise at first, but as of 19 95 it will fall to.47 in 2011, which is below the 1991 level. Househol d income inequality will rise throughout the period by 15% to.38 in 20 11. There are differences in hourly wages between men and women of the same age and educational level. Reducing them is a particularly effec tive way to diminish income inequality. This effect is most pronounced for the individual income distribution.