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Is wage compression a necessary condition for firm-financed general training?

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Author Info
Alison L. Booth
Gylfi Zoega

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Abstract

In recent contributions, Acemoglu and Pischke argue that wage compression induces firms to invest in general training. However, they consider only absolute wage compression. We extend their approach to consider relative wage compression and argue that wage compression as generally understood in the literature is of the latter type. We show that factors associated with an increase in the absolute difference between output and wages might have no effect on the ratio of output and wages (e.g., if the output and wage of every worker doubles, there is absolute wage compression but not relative wage compression). Importantly, we show that, although relative wage compression is not a necessary condition for firms' willingness to pay for general training, it does increase firms' incentives to pay for workers' general training. We show that the departure from the competitive framework highlighted in Acemoglu and Pischke is much more general than implied by their analysis. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Oxford University Press in its journal Oxford Economic Papers.

Volume (Year): 56 (2004)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 88-97
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Handle: RePEc:oup:oxecpp:v:56:y:2004:i:1:p:88-97

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Acemoglu, Daron & Pischke, Jorn-Steffen, 1999. "Beyond Becker: Training in Imperfect Labour Markets," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(453), pages F112-42, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Daron Acemoglu & Jorn-Steffen Pischke, 1999. "The Structure of Wages and Investment in General Training," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(3), pages 539-572, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Edwin Leuven & Hessel Oosterbeek, 1997. "Demand and Supply of Work-Related Training: Evidence from our Four Countries," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 97-013/3, Tinbergen Institute.
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Cited by:
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  1. Alison Booth & Mark L. Bryan, 2006. "Training, Minimum Wages and the Earnings Distribution," CEPR Discussion Papers 537, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. [Downloadable!]
  2. Gerfin, Michael, 2004. "Work-Related Training and Wages: An Empirical Analysis for Male Workers in Switzerland," IZA Discussion Papers 1078, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Michael Gerfin, 2003. "Firm-sponsored Work-Related Training in Frictional Labour Markets: An empirical analysis for Switzerland," Diskussionsschriften dp0317, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft. [Downloadable!]
  4. Filipe Almeida-Santos & Karen Mumford, . "Employee Training and Wage Compression in Britain," Discussion Papers 04/11, Department of Economics, University of York. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Rita Asplund, 2005. "The Provision and Effects of Company Training: A Brief Review of the Literature," Nordic Journal of Political Economy, Nordic Journal of Political Economy, vol. 31, pages 47-73. [Downloadable!]
  6. Andrea Bassanini & Giorgio Brunello, 2008. "Is training more frequent when the wage premium is smaller? Evidence from the European Community Household Panel," Post-Print halshs-00214192_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Harley Frazis & Mark A Loewenstein, 2006. "Wage Compression and the Division of Returns to Productivity Growth: Evidence from EOPP," Working Papers 398, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Rita Asplund, 2004. "The Provision and Effects of Company Training. A brief review of the literature," Discussion Papers 907, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
  9. Nikutowski, Oliver, 2007. "Accelerated Technological Progress - An Explanation for Wage Dispersion and a Possible Solution to the Productivity Paradox," Discussion Papers in Economics 1925, University of Munich, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  10. Gerfin, Michael, 2004. "Firm-Sponsored General Training in Frictional Labour Markets: An Empirical Analysis for Switzerland," IZA Discussion Papers 1077, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  11. Andrea Bassanini & Alison Booth & Giorgio Brunello & Maria De Paola & Edwin Leuven, 2005. "Workplace Training in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 1640, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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