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The Burden of Labour Costs in Mexico

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  • Gabriel Montes Rojas
  • Mauricio Santamaría

Abstract

. We analysed labour costs in Mexico and evaluated their impact in terms of firm performance. Using a new survey, we studied how firms chose to conduct a firing procedure (i.e. mandatory payment, negotiation, or legal dispute) and the actual costs derived from that decision. We found that firms that negotiate have, on average, lower costs. This may mean that workers subvaluate the legal benefits. Moreover, legal disputes may increase firing costs by 50 per cent. We contributed to the analysis of the impact of such costs on employment and found that, when firms negotiate or pay higher costs, this decreases the level of employment. We also analysed the impact of Social Benefits on employment using an industrial survey. We found that a 10 per cent increment in these benefits may have a negative long‐term impact of 9 per cent on the level of employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriel Montes Rojas & Mauricio Santamaría, 2007. "The Burden of Labour Costs in Mexico," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 21(1), pages 157-188, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:21:y:2007:i:1:p:157-188
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9914.2006.00367.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carmen Pagés & Claudio E. Montenegro, 2007. "Job security and the age-composition of employment: evidence from Chile," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 34(2 Year 20), pages 109-139, December.
    2. Scarpetta, Stefano & Tressel, Thierry, 2004. "Boosting productivity via innovation and adoption of new technologies : any role for labor market institutions?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3273, The World Bank.
    3. James J. Heckman & Carmen Pagés, 2004. "Law and Employment: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number heck04-1, May.
    4. Nickell, Stephen & Layard, Richard, 1999. "Labor market institutions and economic performance," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 46, pages 3029-3084, Elsevier.
    5. Luca NUNZIATA & Stefano STAFFOLANI, 2001. "On Short-term Contracts Regulations," Working Papers 150, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    6. Carmen Pagés-Serra, 2000. "The Cost of Job Security Regulation: Evidence from Latin American Labor Markets," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2000), pages 109-154, August.
    7. Richard B. Freeman, 2000. "Single Peaked Vs. Diversified Capitalism: The Relation Between Economic Institutions and Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 7556, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Carmen Pagés & Claudio E. Montenegro, 2007. "Job security and the age-composition of employment: evidence from Chile," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 34(2 Year 20), pages 109-139, December.
    9. James J. Heckman & Carmen Pagés, 2004. "Introduction to "Law and Employment: Lessons from Latin American and the Caribbean"," NBER Chapters, in: Law and Employment: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean, pages 1-108, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Carmen Pagés-Serra & James J. Heckman, 2000. "The Cost of Job Security Regulation: Evidence from Latin American Labor Markets," Research Department Publications 4227, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
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    Cited by:

    1. David S. Kaplan & Joyce Sadka, 2011. "The Plaintiff's Role in Enforcing a Court Ruling: Evidence from a Labor Court in Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 38198, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. Kaplan, David S. & Sadka, Joyce, 2011. "The Plaintiff's Role in Enforcing a Court Ruling: Evidence from a Labor Court in Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 3193, Inter-American Development Bank.
    3. Fabio Sánchez & Valentina Duque & Mauricio Ruíz, 2009. "Costos laborales y no laborales y su impacto sobre el desempleo, la duración del desempleo y la informalidad en Colombia, 1980-2007," Documentos CEDE 5540, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    4. Montes-Rojas, Gabriel & Santamaria, Mauricio, 2007. "Sources of productivity growth: Evidence from the Mexican manufacturing sector," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 263-278, December.
    5. World Bank, 2009. "Mexico - Improving Productivity for the Urban Poor," World Bank Publications - Reports 3047, The World Bank Group.
    6. Finkelstein-Shapiro, Alan & Sarzosa, Miguel, 2012. "Unemployement Protection for Informal Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4542, Inter-American Development Bank.

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