IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jns/jbstat/v223y2003i4p403-421.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Fixed-term Contract Employment Raise Firms’ Adjustment Speed?. Evidence from an Establishment Panel for West Germany / Erhöhen befristete Verträge die Anpassungsgeschwindigkeit von Unternehmen?. Empirische Evidenz auf Basis eines Betriebspanels

Author

Listed:
  • Hagen Tobias

    (Centre for European Economic Research (Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung - ZEW), Department of Labour Economics, Human Resources, and Social Policy, P.O. Box 10 3443, D-68034 Mannheim)

Abstract

Fixed-term labour contracts were liberalised in Germany in order to raise the flexibility of the labour market. However, empirical studies using industry-level data find no significant effect of FTCs on employment adjustment. This paper investigates the impact of FTC employment on firms’ flexibility by estimating dynamic labour demand models with the IAB-Establishment Panel for West Germany in 1996-2000. Using a GMM estimator and comparing the estimated adjustment of total employment to the adjustment of permanent contract employment some evidence is found that FTCs raise firms’ adjustment speed.

Suggested Citation

  • Hagen Tobias, 2003. "Does Fixed-term Contract Employment Raise Firms’ Adjustment Speed?. Evidence from an Establishment Panel for West Germany / Erhöhen befristete Verträge die Anpassungsgeschwindigkeit von Unternehmen?. ," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 223(4), pages 403-421, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:223:y:2003:i:4:p:403-421
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2003-0403
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2003-0403
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/jbnst-2003-0403?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katharine G. Abraham, 1988. "Flexible Staffing Arrangements and Employers' Short-Term Adjustment Strategies," NBER Working Papers 2617, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2001. "The use of flexible working contracts in West Germany: evidence from an establishment panel," ZEW Discussion Papers 01-33, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Juan J Dolado & Carlos Garcia--Serrano & Juan F. Jimeno, 2002. "Drawing Lessons From The Boom Of Temporary Jobs In Spain," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(721), pages 270-295, June.
    4. Pedro Portugal & José Varejão, 2022. "Why do firms use fixed-term contracts?," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 21(3), pages 401-421, September.
    5. Goux, Dominique & Maurin, Eric & Pauchet, Marianne, 2001. "Fixed-term contracts and the dynamics of labour demand," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 533-552, March.
    6. Victor Aguirregabiria & Cesar Alonso-Borrego, 2014. "Labor Contracts And Flexibility: Evidence From A Labor Market Reform In Spain," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 930-957, April.
    7. Stephen Nickell & Sushil Wadhwani, 1991. "Employment Determination in British Industry: Investigations Using Micro-Data," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(5), pages 955-969.
    8. O Blanchard & A Landier, 2002. "The Perverse Effects of Partial Labour Market Reform: fixed--Term Contracts in France," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(480), pages 214-244, June.
    9. Alonso-Borrego, Cesar, 1998. "Demand for labour inputs and adjustment costs: evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 475-497, December.
    10. Katharine G. Abraham & Susan N. Houseman, 1994. "Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility? Lessons from Germany, France, and Belgium," NBER Chapters, in: Social Protection versus Economic Flexibility: Is There a Trade-Off?, pages 59-94, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Mark J. Roberts & Emmanuel Skoufias, 1997. "The Long-Run Demand for Skilled and Unskilled Labor in Colombian Manufacturing Plants," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 79(2), pages 330-334, May.
    12. Gorter, Cees & Hassink, Wolter & Nijkamp, Peter & Pels, Eric, 1997. "On the Endogeneity of Output in Dynamic Labour-Demand Models," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 393-408.
    13. Bentolila, Samuel & Saint-Paul, Gilles, 1992. "The macroeconomic impact of flexible labor contracts, with an application to Spain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1013-1047, June.
    14. Jennifer Hunt, 2000. "Firing Costs, Employment Fluctuations and Average Employment: An Examination of Germany," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 67(266), pages 177-202, May.
    15. Samuel Bentolila & Juan J. Dolado, 1994. "Labour Flexibility and Wages: Lessons from Spain," Working Papers wp1994_9406, CEMFI.
    16. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    17. Judson, Ruth A. & Owen, Ann L., 1999. "Estimating dynamic panel data models: a guide for macroeconomists," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 9-15, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fred Henneberger & Alfonso Sousa-Poza & Alexandre Ziegler, 2006. "Arbeit auf Abruf und Arbeitsmarktdynamik in der Schweiz: Evaluation eines (weitgehend) nicht regulierten Beschäftigungsverhältnisses," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 142(I), pages 39-78, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hagen, Tobias, 2001. "Does fixed-term contract employment raise firms' adjustment-speed? Evidence from an establishment panel for West-Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 01-57, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    2. Andrew Benito & Ignacio Hernando, 2003. "Labour demand, flexible contracts and financial factors: new evidence from Spain," Working Papers 0312, Banco de España.
    3. McGinnity, Frances & Mertens, Antje, 2002. "Fixed-term contracts in East and West Germany: Low wages, poor prospects?," SFB 373 Discussion Papers 2002,72, Humboldt University of Berlin, Interdisciplinary Research Project 373: Quantification and Simulation of Economic Processes.
    4. Adriana Kugler & Juan F. Jimeno & Virginia Hernanz, "undated". "Employment Consequences of Restrictive Permanent Contracts: Evidence from Spanish Labor Market Reforms," Working Papers 2003-14, FEDEA.
    5. Alonso-Borrego, César & Fernández-Villaverde, Jesús & Galdon-Sanchez, Jose Enrique, 2004. "Evaluating Labor Market Reforms: A General Equilibrium Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 1129, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Guell, Maia & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2007. "How binding are legal limits? Transitions from temporary to permanent work in Spain," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 153-183, April.
    7. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2001. "Employment Adjustment in Portugal: Evidence from Aggregate and Firm Data," IZA Discussion Papers 391, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2005. "Befristete und andere "atypische" Beschäftigungsverhältnisse: Wird der Arbeitsmarkt funktionsfähiger? (Fixed-term and other "atypical" employment relationship : is the labour marke," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 305-324.
    9. Victor Aguirregabiria & Cesar Alonso-Borrego, 2014. "Labor Contracts And Flexibility: Evidence From A Labor Market Reform In Spain," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 930-957, April.
    10. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2005. "Befristete und andere "atypische" Beschäftigungsverhältnisse: Wird der Arbeitsmarkt funktionsfähiger? (Fixed-term and other "atypical" employment relationship : is the labour marke," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 305-324.
    11. Trevisan, Elisabetta, 2007. "Job Security and New Restrictive Permanent Contracts. Are Spanish Workers More Worried of Losing Their Job?," Working Papers 07-3, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Economics.
    12. González, Xulia & Miles-Touya, Daniel, 2012. "Labor market rigidities and economic efficiency: Evidence from Spain," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 833-845.
    13. Samuel Bentolila & Juan Jose Dolado & Juan F. Jimeno, 2008. "Two-tier Employment Protection Reforms: The Spanish Experience," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 6(4), pages 49-56, December.
    14. Fernández-Kranz, Daniel & Rodríguez-Planas, Núria, 2011. "The part-time pay penalty in a segmented labor market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 591-606, October.
    15. Garcia-Louzao, Jose & Hospido, Laura & Ruggieri, Alessandro, 2023. "Dual returns to experience," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    16. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2005. "Befristete und andere "atypische" Beschäftigungsverhältnisse: Wird der Arbeitsmarkt funktionsfähiger? (Fixed-term and other "atypical" employment relationship : is the labour marke," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 305-324.
    17. Michele Battisti & Giovanna Vallanti, 2013. "Flexible Wage Contracts, Temporary Jobs, and Firm Performance: Evidence From Italian Firms," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 737-764, July.
    18. Bentolila, Samuel & Dolado, Juan J. & Jimeno, Juan F., 2019. "Dual Labour Markets Revisited," IZA Discussion Papers 12126, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. repec:pri:indrel:dsp011j92g746j is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Andrea Bassanini & Romain Duval, 2006. "The Determinants of Unemployment across OECD Countries," Post-Print halshs-00120584, HAL.
    21. Fernandes, Ana P. & Ferreira, Priscila, 2017. "Financing constraints and fixed-term employment: Evidence from the 2008-9 financial crisis," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 215-238.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:223:y:2003:i:4:p:403-421. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.