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Product Market Regulation and Market Work: A Benchmark Analysis

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  • Lei Fang
  • Richard Rogerson

Abstract

Recent empirical work finds a negative correlation between product market regulation and aggregate employment. We examine the effect of product market regulations on hours worked in a benchmark model of time allocation. Product market regulations affect market work in effectively the same fashion as labor or consumption taxes. For product market regulations to affect aggregate market work, the key driving force is the size of income transfers associated with the regulations, and the key propagation mechanism is the labor supply elasticity. We show that industry level analysis is of little help in assessing the aggregate effects of product market regulation. (JEL E24, J22, L51)

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Fang & Richard Rogerson, 2011. "Product Market Regulation and Market Work: A Benchmark Analysis," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(2), pages 163-188, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmac:v:3:y:2011:i:2:p:163-88
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mac.3.2.163
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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