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Why Do Lazy People Make More Money?: The Strange Case of the Public Sector Wage Premium

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  • Panizza, Ugo

Abstract

Empirical work suggests the presence of a public sector wage premium, the reasons for which are investigated in this paper. The results demonstrate a higher premium paid to women and premium decreases concurrent with skills. Job security undermines the incentive to work hard and forces the public sector to pay higher wages. Thus, the public sector wage premium can be used as an indicator of inefficiency in the public sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Panizza, Ugo, 1998. "Why Do Lazy People Make More Money?: The Strange Case of the Public Sector Wage Premium," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1896, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:1896
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Saiegh & Marcela Montero & Anibal Pérez-Liñán & José Molinas, 2006. "Political Institutions, Policymaking Processes and Policy Outcomes in Paraguay, 1954-2003," Research Department Publications 3194, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    2. Molinas, José R. & Pérez-Liñán, Aníbal & Saiegh, Sebastián & Montero, Marcela, 2006. "Political Institutions, Policymaking Processes and Policy Outcomes in Paraguay, 1954-2003," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 3359, Inter-American Development Bank.
    3. Sebastian Saiegh & Marcela Montero & Anibal Pérez-Liñán & José Molinas, 2006. "Instituciones políticas, procesos de diseño de políticas y resultados de políticas en Paraguay, 1954-2003," Research Department Publications 3195, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    4. Mathieu Narcy, 2011. "Would nonprofit workers accept to earn less? Evidence from France," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 313-326.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    WP-403; efficiency wages; labor demand; OECD countries; labor market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets

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