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After work shopping? Employment effects of a deregulation of shop opening hours in the German retail sector

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  • Paul, Annemarie

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a deregulation of shop opening laws on employment in the German retail sector. Exploiting the gradual change in the opening times of shops across states and using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, difference-in-differences estimates indicate an average increase in the employment probability, driven by a rise in the likelihood of working marginal part-time hours. Workers in small firms are likely to experience a reduction of their propensity to work. For individuals facing high family-related, supply-side constraints, the change in shop opening hours has opposing effects on employment — positive on lower and negative on upper parts of the hours distribution. Overall, the deregulation is estimated to have raised the likelihood of working fewer hours than desired by the workers.

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  • Paul, Annemarie, 2015. "After work shopping? Employment effects of a deregulation of shop opening hours in the German retail sector," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 329-353.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:80:y:2015:i:c:p:329-353
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2015.09.001
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    3. Dominique Goux & Eric Maurin, 2022. "Who will work on Sunday? The winners and losers of Sunday laws relaxation," PSE Working Papers halshs-03884675, HAL.
    4. Lucia Rizzica & Giacomo Roma & Gabriele Rovigatti, 2020. "The effects of shop opening hours deregulation: evidence from Italy," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1281, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Deregulation; Shop opening; Employment status; Hours distribution; Difference-in-differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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