老農津貼、家戶特性與農業家戶所得均度之研究

A Study on the Old Farmer Pension, Household Characteristics and Farm Household Income Inequality

本文嘗試利用Fields（2003）之以迴歸為基礎的拆解方法（regression-based decomposition），檢視臺灣農業家戶所得及不均度之決定因素，並進一步解析老農津貼制度的政策效果。就方法論而言，本文不僅為該種拆解模式在國內農業家戶所得不均度相關研究的首次應用，亦為農業政策的政策效果評估提供一個新的思考方向。本研究之實證資料取自老農津貼納入漁會會員的1999年至2013年之家庭收支調查資料，結果顯示，家戶特性中之家庭規模及中高教育水準勞動人口比例持續為影響國內農業家戶所得不均度的最主要因素。有關老農津貼的政策效果部分，本研究之結果說明，領取老農津貼對於近15年之農業家戶所得不均度而言，始終維持一定程度的貢獻，且比重呈現上升之趨勢。進一步拆解金額調漲年度前後的所得不均度變化則可發現，老農津貼金額調漲確實有縮小農業家戶所得不均度之政策效果。 Based on the regression-based decomposition approach proposed in Fields (2003), the present study investigates the determinants of farm household income and inequality, so as to provide a further assessment of the effect of the Old Farmer Pension Program. From the perspective of methodological refinements, the novelty of this work stems from the first application of the regression-based decomposition in analyzing farm household inequality and from providing an alternative angle in evaluating the effects of agricultural income support policies. Drawn from the data of the Survey of Family Income and Expenditure in Taiwan Area of Republic of China from 1999 to 2013, the results indicate that farm household characteristics such as the size and the percentage of higher-education working members in the farm household are the two major determinants of farm household income inequality. Moreover, it is found that the contributions of the Old Farmer Pension Program, to the farm household income inequality, remain statistically significant and persist with a rising share during the last 15 years or so. The results from a change-decomposition, nevertheless, suggest an inequality-equalizing effect following the increase in the amount of pension during the last three waves of adjustment.