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Taxing Overtime or Subsidizing Employment

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  • Osuna Victoria

    (Universidad Pablo de Olavide)

Abstract

This paper compares the macroeconomic implications of overtime taxation and wage and employment subsidies in a dynamic general equilibrium model in which hours and bodies are imperfect substitutes due to team work and externality-based commuting costs. To obtain reliable estimates, I calibrate the model to the substitutability between the workweek and employment using business cycle information. I find that subsidizing employment can achieve the same employment increase as taxing overtime but at a lower cost in terms of output, productivity, wages and welfare. The wage subsidy that achieves the same employment increase turns out to be very costly from a fiscal point of view

Suggested Citation

  • Osuna Victoria, 2009. "Taxing Overtime or Subsidizing Employment," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-28, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejmac:v:9:y:2009:i:1:n:41
    DOI: 10.2202/1935-1690.1892
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chéron, Arnaud & Hairault, Jean-Olivier & Langot, François, 2008. "A quantitative evaluation of payroll tax subsidies for low-wage workers: An equilibrium search approach," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(3-4), pages 817-843, April.
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    7. Victoria Osuna & Jose-Victor Rios-Rull, 2003. "Implementing the 35 Hour Workweek by Means of Overtime Taxation," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(1), pages 179-206, January.
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