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The Role of Labor Market Institutions in the Great Recession

Author

Listed:
  • Jens Boysen-Hogrefe
  • Dominik Groll
  • Wolfgang Lechthaler
  • Christian Merkl

Abstract

The recent Great Recession had very heterogeneous effects on the labor market outcomes in industrialized countries. We analyze the role of three labor market institutions in this context, namely the level of firing costs, the existence of short-time work and the wage formation process. This paper combines two different perspectives, a structural dynamic model perspective and an empirical cross-country perspective. Using the Lechthaler, Merkl, and Snower (2010) model, we first simulate the effects of the three labor market institutions during a recession. Using the panel of the EU-15 countries without Luxembourg, we then test the predictions of the model. Indeed, we find evidence that the three labor market institutions can partially explain the different labor market reactions across countries during the Great Recession. However, further empirical research is needed, as more data can be expected to become available, especially with respect to the use of short-time work in different countries. Comment by Claus Schnabel.

Suggested Citation

  • Jens Boysen-Hogrefe & Dominik Groll & Wolfgang Lechthaler & Christian Merkl, 2010. "The Role of Labor Market Institutions in the Great Recession," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 61(Supplemen), pages 65-88.
    • Handle: RePEc:aeq:aeqaeq:v61_y2010_is_q5_p65-88
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gehrke, Britta & Lechthaler, Wolfgang & Merkl, Christian, 2019. "The German labor market during the Great Recession: Shocks and institutions," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 192-208.
    2. Lastauskas, Povilas, 2013. "Europe's revolving doors: Import competition and endogenous firm entry institutions," Kiel Advanced Studies Working Papers 464, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Anja Bauer & Ian King, 2015. "The Hartz Reforms, the German Miracle, and the Reallocation Puzzle," Discussion Papers Series 550, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    4. Peeters, Marga & Den Reijer, Ard, 2011. "On wage formation, wage flexibility and wage coordination : A focus on the wage impact of productivity in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United States," MPRA Paper 31102, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Gehrke, Britta & Lechthaler, Wolfgang & Merkl, Christian, 2017. "The German labor market in the Great Recession: Shocks and institutions," IAB-Discussion Paper 201714, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    6. Povilas Lastauskas & Julius Stakenas, 2019. "Does It Matter When Labor Market Reforms Are Implemented? The Role of the Monetary Policy Environment," Bank of Lithuania Working Paper Series 66, Bank of Lithuania.
    7. Bofinger, Peter & Buch, Claudia M. & Feld, Lars P. & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Wieland, Volker, 2013. "Gegen eine rückwärtsgewandte Wirtschaftspolitik. Jahresgutachten 2013/14 [Against a backward-looking economic policy. Annual Report 2013/14]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 201314.
    8. Bauer, Anja & King, Ian, 2018. "The Hartz reforms, the German Miracle, and labor reallocation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 1-17.
    9. Dieter Hundt & Frank-Jürgen Weise & Hagen Lesch & Wolfgang Lechthaler & Christian Merkl, 2012. "Euro crisis, Energy Policy Turnaround, Economic Slowdown: is this the End of the German “Job Market Miracle”?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 65(01), pages 03-13, January.
    10. Lastauskas, Povilas & Stakėnas, Julius, 2020. "Labor market reforms and the monetary policy environment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    11. Marga Peeters & Ard den Reijer, 2014. "Coordination versus flexibility in wage formation: a focus on the nominal wage impact of productivity in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United States," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(7), pages 698-714, March.
    12. Fuchs, Johann & Hummel, Markus & Klinger, Sabine & Spitznagel, Eugen & Wanger, Susanne & Zika, Gerd, 2010. "Prognose 2010/2011: Der Arbeitsmarkt schließt an den vorherigen Aufschwung an (Forecast 2010/2011: German labour market continues pre-crisis progression)," IAB-Kurzbericht 201018, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].

    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment; firing costs; short-time work; unit labor costs;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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