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Ugo Colombino

University of Turin, Italy, and IZA, Germany

Making empirical and analytical results available to a large audience is a crucial contribution to a well-informed and sophisticated public opinion. In this direction, IZA World of Labor represents an innovative and well-structured project

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Turin, Italy

Research interest

Empirical public economics, empirical optimal taxation, design of income support mechanisms, microeconometrics, microsimulation

Website

http://bit.ly/Colombino_IZApage

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Consultant for a microsimulation project (Ministry of Economics and Finance): 2005–2012; Member of a research team on tax-benefit reform (Ministry of Economics and Finance): 2007–2008

Past positions

Professor of Economics, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy (1991–1993); Professor of Economic Policy, University of Salerno, Italy (1988–1990)

Qualifications

PhD Economics, London School of Economics, 1985

Selected publications

  • “Labour supply models.” In: O’Donoghue, C. (ed.). Handbook of Microsimulation Modelling (Contributions to Economic Analysis Series Vol. 293). Bingley, UK: Emerald, 2014; pp. 167–221 (with R. Aaberge).

  • “Designing optimal taxes with a microeconometric model of household labour supply.” Scandinavian Journal of Economics 115:2 (2013): 449–475 (with R. Aaberge).

  • “Accounting for family background when designing optimal income taxes: A microeconometric simulation analysis.” Journal of Population Economics 25:2 (2012): 741–761 (with R. Aaberge).

  • “Do more equal slices shrink the cake? An empirical investigation of tax-transfer reform proposals in Italy.” Journal of Population Economics 17:4 (2004): 767–785 (with R. Aaberge and S. Strøm).

  • “Labour supply in Italy: An empirical analysis of joint household decisions, with taxes and quantity constraints.” Journal of Applied Econometrics 14:4 (1999): 403–422 (with R. Aaberge and S. Strøm).

article(s)

  • Is unconditional basic income a viable alternative to other social welfare measures? Updated

    Countries give basic education and health care to everyone, and for good reasons—why not basic income?

    Ugo Colombino, March 2019
    Globalization and automation have brought about a tremendous increase in productivity, with enormous benefits, but also a dramatic reallocation of jobs, skills, and incomes, which might jeopardize the full realization of those benefits. Current social policies may not be adequate to successfully redistribute the gains from automation and globalization or to advance the reallocation of jobs and skills. Under certain circumstances, an unconditional basic income might be a better alternative for achieving these goals. It is simple, transparent, and has low administrative costs, though it may require higher taxes or a cut/reallocation of other public expenditures.
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