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Determinants of wage stickiness in a developing economy

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  • Ahmed, Waqas
  • Choudhary, M. Ali
  • Khan, Sajawal
  • Naeem, Saima
  • Zoega, Gylfi

Abstract

We explore wage flexibility in a developing country and compare our results to what has been found in similar studies using European data. In particular, we conduct a survey of 1189 firms in Pakistan to analyze the determinants of wage rigidity. We find that the existence of competitive wages and an interaction with the informal economy are statistically significant determinants of wage stickiness. While the role of competitive wages is similar to what has been found in studies of European firms, the latter find a much larger role for turnover, collective bargaining and employment protection. In contrast, in Pakistan we find that firms hiring from the informal sector are significantly more flexible in changing their wages. This suggests that the informal sector adds to the wage flexibility of the formal sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed, Waqas & Choudhary, M. Ali & Khan, Sajawal & Naeem, Saima & Zoega, Gylfi, 2014. "Determinants of wage stickiness in a developing economy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 296-304.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:38:y:2014:i:c:p:296-304
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2014.01.016
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    Cited by:

    1. Choudhary, M. Ali & Faheem, Abdul & Hanif, M. Nadim & Naeem, Saima & Pasha, Farooq, 2016. "Price setting & price stickiness: A developing economy perspective," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 44-61.
    2. Gomez Ospina, Monica A., 2023. "Optimal monetary policy in developing countries: The role of informality," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    3. M. Ali Choudhary & Saima Mahmood & Gylfi Zoega, 2015. "Informal Labour Markets in Pakistan," BCAM Working Papers 1504, Birkbeck Centre for Applied Macroeconomics.
    4. Agudelo, Sonia A. & Sala, Hector, 2017. "Wage Rigidities in Colombia: Measurement, Causes, and Policy Implications," IZA Discussion Papers 10669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Shahzad Ahmad & Adnan Haider, 2019. "An evaluation of the forecast performance of DSGE and VAR Models: The case of a developing country," Business Review, School of Economics and Social Sciences, IBA Karachi, vol. 14(1), pages 28-52, January-J.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Survey of employers; Wage rigidity; Labor market institutions; Monetary policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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