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To Fire or to Hoard? Explaining Japan’s Labor Market Response in the Great Recession

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  • Mr. Chad Steinberg
  • Mr. Masato Nakane

Abstract

The Great Recession pushed Japan’s unemployment rate to historic highs, but the increase has been small by international standards and small relative to the large output shock. This paper explores Japan’s cyclical labor market response to the global financial crisis. Our findings suggest that: (i) employment responsiveness has been historically low but rising over time with the increasing importance of the non-regular workforce; (ii) the labor market response was consistent with historical patterns once we control for the size of the output shock; and (iii) the comparatively lower employment response vis-à-vis other countries can in part be explained by the quick implementation of an employment subsidy program, a more flexible wage system, and a corporate governance structure that places workers rights above shareholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Chad Steinberg & Mr. Masato Nakane, 2011. "To Fire or to Hoard? Explaining Japan’s Labor Market Response in the Great Recession," IMF Working Papers 2011/015, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2011/015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Shibata Ippei, 2020. "Is Labor Market Mismatch a Big Deal in Japan?," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-28, June.
    2. Sergio Destefanis & Matteo Fragetta & Giuseppe Mastromatteo & Nazzareno Ruggiero, 2020. "The Beveridge curve in the OECD before and after the great recession," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(3), pages 411-436, September.
    3. Kambayashi, Ryo & Kato, Takao, 2012. "Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, and the Great Recession: Lessons from Japan's Lost Decade," IZA Discussion Papers 6666, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Ms. Elif C Arbatli Saxegaard & Mr. Dennis P Botman & Kevin Clinton & Pietro Cova & Vitor Gaspar & Zoltan Jakab & Mr. Douglas Laxton & Mr. Constant A Lonkeng Ngouana & Mr. Joannes Mongardini & Hou Wang, 2016. "Reflating Japan: Time to Get Unconventional?," IMF Working Papers 2016/157, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan & Mr. Chad Steinberg & Mr. Murtaza H Syed, 2013. "The Elusive Quest for Inclusive Growth: Growth, Poverty, and Inequality in Asia," IMF Working Papers 2013/152, International Monetary Fund.
    6. Hyeog Ug Kwon & Futoshi Narita & Machiko Narita, 2015. "Resource Reallocation and Zombie Lending in Japan in the 1990s," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(4), pages 709-732, October.
    7. Kodama, Naomi & Yokoyama, Izumi, 2015. "How the 2003 Social Insurance Premium Reform Affects Firm Behavior," CIS Discussion paper series 650, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    8. repec:ilo:ilowps:484127 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Hijzen, Alexander & Kambayashi, Ryo & Teruyama, Hiroshi & Genda, Yuji, 2015. "The Japanese labour market during the global financial crisis and the role of non-standard work: A micro perspective," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 260-281.
    10. Betts, Caroline, 2021. "Accounting for Japan's Lost Score," MPRA Paper 109285, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Betts, Caroline, 2021. "How many (more) lost decades? The great productivity slowdown in Japan," MPRA Paper 106503, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Izumi Yokoyama, 2014. "Why do wages become more rigid during a recession than during a boom?," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-23, December.
    13. KODAMA Naomi & YOKOYAMA Izumi, 2017. "Labor Market Impact of Labor Cost Increase without Productivity Gain: A natural experiment from the 2003 social insurance premium reform in Japan," Discussion papers 17093, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    14. Kümmerling, Angelika. & Lehndorff, Steffen., 2013. "The use of working time-related crisis response measures during the Great Recession," ILO Working Papers 994841273402676, International Labour Organization.
    15. Latsos Sophia, 2018. "Real Wage Effects of Japan’s Monetary Policy," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 69(1), pages 177-215, July.
    16. Sebastien Lechevalier & Cyrille Dossougoin & Christophe Hurlin & Satoko Takaoka, 2014. "How did the Japanese Employment System Change?Investigating the Heterogeneity of Downsizing Practices across Firms," KIER Working Papers 883, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.

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