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Impact of wage rigidity on sovereign credit rating

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  • Yang, Daecheon
  • Song, Jeongseok

Abstract

Sovereign credit rating is a condensed assessment of a country's ability to repay its public debt in a timely fashion. Downward wage rigidity has been considered as a critical determinant of various macroeconomic and financial phenomena. This study examines the effect of a country's wage rigidity on its sovereign credit rating after measuring downward wage rigidities based on a regime-switching model. The results indicate that greater wage rigidity induces lower sovereign credit rating. We find that wage rigidity amplifies cash flow fluctuations and magnified cash flow volatility negatively affects sovereign credit rating.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Daecheon & Song, Jeongseok, 2018. "Impact of wage rigidity on sovereign credit rating," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 25-41.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:34:y:2018:i:c:p:25-41
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2017.10.002
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage rigidity; Sovereign credit rating; Regime switching; Cash flow volatility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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