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Does employment protection affect unemployment? A meta-analysis

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  • Philipp Heimberger

Abstract

Despite extensive research efforts, the magnitude of the effect of employment protection legislation (EPL) on unemployment remains unclear. This article applies meta-analysis and meta-regression methods to a unique data set consisting of 881 observations on the effect of EPL on unemployment from 75 studies. Once we control for publication selection bias, we cannot reject the hypothesis that the average effect of EPL on unemployment is zero. The meta-regression analysis, however, reveals that the choice of the EPL variable matters: estimates that build on survey-based EPL variables report a significantly stronger unemployment-increasing impact of EPL than estimates developed using EPL indices based on the OECD’s methodology, where the latter relies on coding information from legal provisions. Furthermore, using multi-year averages of the underlying data tends to dampen the reported unemployment effects of EPL, and product market regulation serves as a significant moderator variable.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Heimberger, 2021. "Does employment protection affect unemployment? A meta-analysis," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 73(3), pages 982-1007.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:oxecpp:v:73:y:2021:i:3:p:982-1007.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/oep/gpaa037
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiménez, Bruno & Rendon, Silvio, 2023. "Does employment protection unprotect workers? The labor market effects of job reinstatements in Peru," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    2. Gökten, Meryem & Heimberger, Philipp & Lichtenberger, Andreas, 2024. "How far from full employment? The European unemployment problem revisited," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Chris Doucouliagos & Jakob de Haan & Jan-Egbert Sturm, 2022. "What drives financial development? A Meta-regression analysis [A new database of financial reforms]," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 74(3), pages 840-868.
    4. Ricardo Alonzo Fern'andez Salguero, 2025. "The Crisis Simulator for Bolivia (KISr-p): An Empirically Grounded Modeling Framework," Papers 2510.16537, arXiv.org.
    5. Chletsos, Michael & Sintos, Andreas, 2023. "The effects of IMF conditional programs on the unemployment rate," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Ricardo Alonzo Fernandez Salguero, 2025. "Integrated analysis of informality, minimum wage, and monopsony power: A synthesis of meta-analyses with unified theoretical underpinnings," Papers 2509.20465, arXiv.org.
    7. Camille Signoretto, 2025. "Dismissal regulation and hiring and dismissal decisions: a decisive factor? the case of the French labor market reforms," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 285-330, October.
    8. Anthony Doucouliagos & Hristos Doucouliagos & T. D. Stanley, 2024. "Power and bias in industrial relations research," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(1), pages 3-27, March.
    9. Philipp Heimberger, 2022. "Does economic globalisation promote economic growth? A meta‐analysis," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(6), pages 1690-1712, June.
    10. Grodzicki, Maciej J. & Możdżeń, Michał, 2021. "Central and Eastern European economies in a Goldilocks age: A model of labor market institutional choice," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    11. Jean Francky Landry Ngono, 2023. "Corrupting Politicians to Get Out of Unemployment: Empirical Evidence from Africa," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1004-1032, June.
    12. McCartney, Gerry & Hill O'Connor, Clementine & Laughlin, Sue & Robertson, Tony & Bunse, Lukas & Crighton, Matthew & McLeod, Aileen & Cochrane, Phoebe & Stuart, Francis & Black, Iain & McMaster, Robert, 2025. "Evidence review to support the development of a Wellbeing Economy strategy in Scotland," Working Paper Series 01/2025, Post-Growth Economics Network (PEN).
    13. Nauro F. Campos & Paul De Grauwe & Yuemei Ji, 2025. "Structural Reforms and Economic Performance: The Experience of Advanced Economies," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 63(1), pages 111-163, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C54 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Quantitative Policy Modeling
    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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