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Why do Europeans Work so Little?

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Author Info
Olovsson, Conny () (Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University)
Abstract

Market work per person is roughly 10 percent higher in the U.S. than in Sweden. However, if we include the work carried out in home production, the total amount of work only differs by 1 percent. I set up a model with home production, and show that differences in policy - mainly taxes – can account for the discrepancy in labor supply between Sweden and the U.S. Moreover, even though the elasticity of labor supply is rather low for individual households, labor taxes are estimated to be associated with considerable output losses. I also show that policy can account for the falling trend in market work in Sweden since 1960. The largest reduction occurs from 1960 until around 1980, both in the model and the data. After the early 1980s, the trends for both taxes and actual hours worked are basically flat. This is also true for hours worked in the model.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies in its series Seminar Papers with number 727.

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Length: 27 pages
Date of creation: 09 Feb 2004
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:hhs:iiessp:0727

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Postal: Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Web page: http://www.iies.su.se/
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Related research
Keywords: Labor supply Taxes Home production

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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References listed on IDEAS
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. Juster, F Thomas & Stafford, Frank P, 1991. "The Allocation of Time: Empirical Findings, Behavioral Models, and Problems of Measurement," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 29(2), pages 471-522, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Lindbeck, Assar, 1982. "Tax Effects versus Budget Effects on Labor Supply," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(4), pages 473-89, October.
  3. Martin Browning & Lars Peter Hansen & James J. Heckman, 1999. "Micro Data and General Equilibrium Models," Discussion Papers 99-10, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  4. Jonsson, Magnus & Klein, Paul, 2003. "Tax distortions in Sweden and the United States," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 711-729, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Schneider, Friedrich, 2002. "The Size and Development of the Shadow Economies of 22 Transition and 21 OECD Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 514, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  6. Stephen Nickell, 2003. "Employment and Taxes," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Edward C. Prescott, 2003. "Why do Americans work so much more than Europeans?," Staff Report 321, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Chatterjee, Satyajit, 1994. "Transitional dynamics and the distribution of wealth in a neoclassical growth model," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 97-119, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, 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. Richard Rogerson, 2006. "Understanding Differences in Hours Worked," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 9(3), pages 365-409, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Davis, Steven J. & Henrekson, Magnus, 2007. "Economic Perfomance and Work Activity in Sweden after the Crisis of the Early 1990s," Working Paper Series 687, Research Institute of Industrial Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Alesina, Alberto F & Glaeser, Edward L & Sacerdote, Bruce, 2005. "Work and Leisure in the US and Europe: Why So Different?," CEPR Discussion Papers 5140, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Henrekson, Magnus & Dreber, Anna, 2004. "Female Career Success: Institutions, Path Dependence and Psychology," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 574, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 27 Jan 2005. [Downloadable!]
  5. Davis, Steven J. & Henrekson, Magnus, 2004. "Tax Effects on Work Activity, Industry Mix and Shadow Economy Size: Evidence from Rich-Country Comparisons," Ratio Working Papers 57, The Ratio Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Booth, Alison L & Coles, Melvyn G, 2007. "The Impact of Fiscal Policy on Labour Supply and Education in an Economy with Household and Market Production," CEPR Discussion Papers 6265, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Richard Rogerson, 2007. "Structural Transformation and the Deterioration of European Labor Market Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 12889, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Lee Ohanian & Andrea Raffo & Richard Rogerson, 2007. "Work and taxes: allocation of time in OECD countries," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, issue Q III, pages 37-58. [Downloadable!]
  9. Anton Hallam & Ernst Juerg Weber, 2007. "Labour Taxes and Work Hours in Australia," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 07-09, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  10. Olovsson, Conny, 2004. "The Welfare Gains of Improving Risk Sharing in Social Security," Seminar Papers 728, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies. [Downloadable!]
  11. Richard Rogerson, 2007. "Taxation and Market Work: Is Scandinavia an Outlier?," NBER Working Papers 12890, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  12. Lei Fang & Richard Rogerson, 2007. "Product Market Regulation and Market Work: A Benchmark Analysis," NBER Working Papers 12891, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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