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Real wages over the business cycle: OECD evidence from the time and frequency domains

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  • Messina, Julián
  • Turunen, Jarkko
  • Strozzi, Chiara

Abstract

We study differences in the adjustment of aggregate real wages in the manufacturing sector over the business cycle across OECD countries, combining results from different data and dynamic methods. Summary measures of cyclicality show genuine cross-country heterogeneity even after controlling for the impact of data and methods. We find that more open economies and countries with stronger unions tend to have less pro-cyclical (or more counter-cyclical) wages. We also find a positive correlation between the cyclicality of real wages and employment, suggesting that policy complementarities may influence the adjustment of both quantities and prices in the labour market. JEL Classification: E32, J30, C10

Suggested Citation

  • Messina, Julián & Turunen, Jarkko & Strozzi, Chiara, 2009. "Real wages over the business cycle: OECD evidence from the time and frequency domains," Working Paper Series 1003, European Central Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20091003
    Note: 1267758
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    business cycle; dynamic correlation; Labour Market Institutions; real wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • C10 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - General

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