Quantile Regression Model with Unknown Censoring Point

The paper introduces an estimator for the linear censored quantile regression model when the censoring point is an unknown function of a set of regressors. The objective function minimized is convex and the minimization problem is a linear programming problem, for which there is a global minimum. The suggested procedure applies also to the special case of a fixed known censoring point. Under fairly weak conditions the estimator is shown to have n-convergence rate and is asymptotically normal. In the special case of a fixed censoring point it is asymptotically equivalent to the estimator suggested by Powell (1984, 1986a). A Monte Carlo study performed shows that the suggested estimator has very desirable small sample properties. It precisely corrects for the bias induced by censoring, even when there is a large amount of censoring, and for relatively small sample sizes. The estimator outperforms that suggested by Powell in cases where both apply.