Dynamics of Social Inequality in the Digital Economy: a Look from the Past to the Future

Abstract

The subject of the research is the economic inequality dynamics. The purpose of the research was statistical verification of the main factors affecting the dynamics of inequality in the digital economy. The research methodology includes the socio-synergic approach and the laws of mathematical statistics. The result of the research was a critical review of S. Kuznets’s views on the impact of economic growth on the dynamics of economic inequality. The conclusion made by T. Picketti that the U-shaped Kuznets curve transforms into the S-shaped curve is confirmed. It is proved that the contribution of the economic growth factor to the dynamics of the economic inequality is not predominant in the total system of all factors affecting the inequality dynamics. It is concluded that the economic growth resulting from technological innovations in the digital economy will not automatically lead to alleviation of the economic inequality; when modeling the social inequality, it is necessary to take into account the impact of such factors as the reallocation policy, particularly, the income taxation, the degree of social activity and good or poor organization of parties in labor relations.