Growth and Distribution: A Guyana Case Study

The principal contribution of this article is that it provides evidence of recent trends of inequality in Guyana, but the article goes beyond this and describes the evolution of inequality since 1974 to 2013. This is done within a Kaleckian framework to derive profit and wage rates, since recent Gini coefficients data are absent. The evidence implies that inequality is on the rise. The article argues that the mining and quarrying sector regulates Guyana’s growth performance and ignites growth in the non-tradable services sector, which are characterized by low-wage-low-employment opportunities. Thus, a greater share of the gains in income in these sectors goes to profits when growth is sustained.