IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/buecrs/v58y2006i1p25-49.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nominal Wage Flexibility and Economic Performance: Evidence and Implications Across Industrial Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Magda Kandil

Abstract

By considering the theoretical connection between labour and product markets, the paper evaluates the economic relationship of these markets within the contractual wage rigidity New Keynesian explanation of business cycles. The empirical analysis focuses on the short‐run cyclical behaviour of real output, prices and wages for 19 industrial countries. Time‐series and cross‐sectional regressions are estimated. Cross‐sectional cyclical correlations in the labour and goods markets are also evaluated across countries. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, aggregate uncertainty is an important factor in increasing the flexibility of the nominal wage in response to aggregate demand shocks. Wage flexibility accelerates price inflation and moderates the response of real output growth to aggregate demand shocks. Wage flexibility does not appear to be an important factor in differentiating the real and inflationary effects of energy price shocks across countries. Finally, aggregate uncertainty increases the responsiveness of output and price to productivity shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Magda Kandil, 2006. "Nominal Wage Flexibility and Economic Performance: Evidence and Implications Across Industrial Countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 25-49, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:buecrs:v:58:y:2006:i:1:p:25-49
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0307-3378.2006.00232.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0307-3378.2006.00232.x
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.0307-3378.2006.00232.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert A. Buckle & John A. Carlson, 2000. "Inflation and Asymmetric Price Adjustment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(1), pages 157-160, February.
    2. Lucas, Robert E, Jr, 1973. "Some International Evidence on Output-Inflation Tradeoffs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 63(3), pages 326-334, June.
    3. Adrian Pagan, 1986. "Two Stage and Related Estimators and Their Applications," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 53(4), pages 517-538.
    4. Taylor, John B, 1980. "Aggregate Dynamics and Staggered Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(1), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Dufour, Jean-Marie, 1982. "Generalized Chow Tests for Structural Change: A Coordinate-Free Approach," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 23(3), pages 565-575, October.
    6. Engle, Robert F., 1982. "A general approach to lagrange multiplier model diagnostics," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 83-104, October.
    7. Allen, Steven G, 1992. "Changes in the Cyclical Sensitivity of Wages in the United States, 1891-1987," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 122-140, March.
    8. Michael L. Wachter, 1976. "The Changing Cyclical Responsiveness of Wage Inflation," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 7(1), pages 115-168.
    9. Card, David, 1990. "Unexpected Inflation, Real Wages, and Employment Determination in Union Contracts," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(4), pages 669-688, September.
    10. Gabriel Perez-Quiros & Margaret M. McConnell, 2000. "Output Fluctuations in the United States: What Has Changed since the Early 1980's?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1464-1476, December.
    11. Sachs, Jeffrey, 1980. "The Changing Cyclical Behavior of Wages and Prices: 1890-1976," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(1), pages 78-90, March.
    12. Rhee, Wooheon & Rich, Robert W., 1995. "Inflation and the asymmetric effects of money on output fluctuations," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 683-702.
    13. Laurence Ball & N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer, 1988. "The New Keynsesian Economics and the Output-Inflation Trade-off," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 19(1), pages 1-82.
    14. Chirinko, Robert S, 1980. "The Real Wage Rate over the Business Cycle," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(3), pages 459-461, August.
    15. Kim, Benjamin J. C., 1988. "Real wage response to monetary shocks: A disaggregated analysis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 183-200.
    16. Gray, Jo Anna & Kandil, Magda, 1991. "Is Price Flexibility Stabilizing? A Broader Perspective," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 23(1), pages 1-12, February.
    17. Nelson, Charles R. & Plosser, Charles I., 1982. "Trends and random walks in macroeconmic time series : Some evidence and implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 139-162.
    18. Pagan, Adrian, 1984. "Econometric Issues in the Analysis of Regressions with Generated Regressors," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 25(1), pages 221-247, February.
    19. Gray, Jo Anna, 1978. "On Indexation and Contract Length," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(1), pages 1-18, February.
    20. Kandil, Magda & Woods, Jeffrey G, 1997. "Cyclical Comovements in Industrial Labor and Product Markets: Theory and Evidence," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(4), pages 725-744, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Miquel Clar & Christian Dreger & Raúl Ramos, 2007. "Wage Flexibility and Labour Market Institutions: A Meta‐Analysis," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), pages 145-163, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Magda Kandil, 2001. "Variation in the Effects of Aggregate Demand Shocks: Evidence and Implications across Industrial Countries," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 67(3), pages 552-577, January.
    2. Kandil, Magda & Woods, Jeffrey G., 1995. "A cross-industry examination of the Lucas misperceptions model," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 55-76.
    3. Kandil, Magda, 1995. "Cyclical fluctuations across industries of the United States: Evidence and implications," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 17-37, February.
    4. Kandil, Magda, 2007. "The wage-price spiral: International evidence and implications," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 212-240.
    5. Magda Kandil, 2010. "Demand shocks and the cyclical behavior of the real wage: Some international evidence," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 13, pages 135-158, May.
    6. Kandil, Magda, 1998. "Supply-Side Asymmetry and the Non-Neutrality of Demand Fluctuations," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 785-809, October.
    7. Kandil, Magda, 2017. "Crowding out or crowding in? Correlations of spending components within and across countries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1254-1273.
    8. Kandil, Magda, 2006. "Variation in the effects of government spending shocks with methods of financing: Evidence from the U.S," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 463-486.
    9. Magda Kandil, 2006. "Asymmetric Effects Of Aggregate Demand Shocks Across U.S. Industries: Evidence And Implications," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 32(2), pages 259-283, Spring.
    10. Magda Kandil, 2009. "Public Spending and the Macroeconomy: Evidence from Developing and Developed Countries," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 8(2), pages 133-158, August.
    11. Magda Kandil, 2019. "External Cyclicality in the Face of Aggregate Demand Shocks: Pros and Cons Across Developed and Developing Countries," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 48(1), February.
    12. Kandil, Magda & Woods, Jeffrey G., 2002. "Convergence of the gender gap over the business cycle: a sectoral investigation," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 271-292.
    13. Magda Kandil, 2005. "On the Effects of Government Spending Shocks in Developing Countries," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 269-304.
    14. Magda Kandil, 2010. "The asymmetric effects of demand shocks: international evidence on determinants and implications," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(17), pages 2127-2145.
    15. Kandil, Magda, 2009. "Demand-side stabilization policies: What is the evidence of their potential?," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 261-276.
    16. Kandil, Magda & Mirzaie, Aghdas, 2002. "Exchange rate fluctuations and disaggregated economic activity in the US: theory and evidence," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-31, February.
    17. Kandil, Magda & Mirzaie, Ida Aghdas, 2003. "The effects of dollar appreciation on sectoral labor market adjustments: Theory and evidence," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 89-117.
    18. Magda Kandil, 2016. "On the relationship between public and private spending in developing and developed countries," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 165-191, March.
    19. Magda Kandil, 2006. "On the transmission of exchange rate fluctuations to the macroeconomy: Contrasting evidence for developing and developed countries," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 101-127.
    20. Kandil, Magda, 1996. "Price flexibility and output variability: What do we learn from disaggregate data?," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 117-139, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:buecrs:v:58:y:2006:i:1:p:25-49. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0307-3378 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.