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Wage Formation in Open Economies and the Role of Monetary and Wage-Setting Institutions

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Abstract

The paper studies the determinants of unemployment in a two-country model, where real wages are the outcome of the strategic interaction between various institutional players (firms, unions, central banks). We show that: (i) the results derived in the recent literature on this topic are not generally robust against the introduction of openness; (ii) the shape of the Calmfors- Driffill curve not only depends on a country’s own centralization of wage-bargaining (CWB) but rather on home and foreign characteristics; (iii) the model challenges the established belief that a shift to a monetary union (MU) will (negatively) affect unemployment in all member countries by fundamentally changing the nature of strategic interactions. Under certain assumptions our open-economy model suggests that the formation of a MU has no effect whatsoever on structural unemployment.

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  • Markus Knell, 2002. "Wage Formation in Open Economies and the Role of Monetary and Wage-Setting Institutions," Working Papers 63, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).
    • Handle: RePEc:onb:oenbwp:63
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    Cited by:

    1. Hochreiter, Eduard & Schmidt-Hebbel, Klaus & Winckler, Georg, 2002. "Monetary union: European lessons, Latin American prospects," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 297-321, December.
    2. Bratsiotis, George J., 2008. "Influential price and wage setters, monetary policy and real effects," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 503-517, June.
    3. Wenlang Zhang & Gaofeng Han, 2013. "How have Labour Market Developments Affected Labour Costs in China?," Working Papers 072013, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    4. Markus Knell, 2002. "The effects of EMU on euro area unemployment," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 30(3), pages 244-262, September.
    5. Peter Mooslechner & Martin Schürz, 2001. "The Interaction of Wage Bargaining Institutions and an Independent Central Bank – A Methodological Reflection on Current Theories," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 487-506, December.
    6. Carsten Hefeker, 2002. "Lohnpolitik und Geldpolitik in Euroland," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 71(3), pages 354-367.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage-Setting; Unemployment; Monetary Union;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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