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Much Ado about Nothing? Recent Labour Market Reforms in Germany – a Preliminary Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Gustav Horn

    (Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK) at the Hans Böckler Foundation in Düsseldorf, Germany)

  • Camille Logeay

    (Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK) at the Hans Böckler Foundation in Düsseldorf, Germany)

  • Katja Rietzler

Abstract

The article examines the macroeconomic effects of the recent labour market reforms in Germany. The reforms increased the downward pressure on wages and led to rising income inequality. Many German economists welcomed this effect, because they consider lower wages and higher wage dispersion major prerequisites for stronger employment growth. The theoretical analysis shows that a strategy of wage restraint might make sense in a small open economy, where exports play a dominating role. However, in a large and less open economy the negative effects of wage restraint on domestic demand are likely to outweigh the positive effects of enhanced competitiveness as could be observed in Germany in recent years. A comparison of the most recent two upswings confirms that the labour intensity of growth has not risen since the reforms. At the same time German wage restraint has contributed to increasing trade imbalances in the euro area.

Suggested Citation

  • Gustav Horn & Camille Logeay & Katja Rietzler, 2008. "Much Ado about Nothing? Recent Labour Market Reforms in Germany – a Preliminary Assessment," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 19(3), pages 161-178.
    • Handle: RePEc:nms:mamere:doi_10.1688/1861-9908_mrev_2008_3_horn
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    File URL: https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/0935-9915-2008-3-161
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour market reforms; wage restraint; employment; business cycle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

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