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Political-Economic Regime and the Wage Curve: Evidence from Chile, 1957-96

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  • Janine Berg
  • Dante Contreras

Abstract

This paper tests whether a wage curve—a negative relationship between the level of unemployment and the level of pay—existed in Chile during 1957-96. The analysis is divided into two periods. For 1957-73, during inward-led development, we reject the existence of a wage curve. For 1974-96, when the economy opened, state-run industries were privatised and labour rights weakened, we find a wage curve of -0.08. Based on this finding we conclude that the unemployment-pay elasticity in the post-reform period is similar to the -0.07 to -0.10 wage curve found in other western, capitalist countries. Disaggregating the analysis by group, we find that women, non-university educated workers and public sector workers have suffered more from unemployment. Yet informal sector workers have not experienced pay drops as a result of unemployment, contradicting the hypothesis that the informal sector acts as a buffer during economic downturns.

Suggested Citation

  • Janine Berg & Dante Contreras, 2004. "Political-Economic Regime and the Wage Curve: Evidence from Chile, 1957-96," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 151-165.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:irapec:v:18:y:2004:i:2:p:151-165
    DOI: 10.1080/0269217042000186651
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    Cited by:

    1. Ramos, Raul & Duque, Juan C. & Surinach, Jordi, 2010. "Is the wage curve formal or informal? Evidence for Colombia," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 63-65, November.
    2. Pierre, Gaelle & Scarpetta, Stefano, 2004. "Employment regulations through the eyes of employers - do they matter and how do firms respond to them?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3463, The World Bank.
    3. Mr. Christopher S Adam & Mr. Edward F Buffie, 2020. "The Minimum Wage Puzzle in Less Developed Countries: Reconciling Theory and Evidence," IMF Working Papers 2020/023, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Badi H. Baltagi & Bartlomiej Rokicki & Kênia Barreiro Souza, 2017. "The Brazilian wage curve: new evidence from the National Household Survey," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 267-286, August.
    5. Pierre, Gaelle & Scarpetta, Stefano, 2007. "How labor market policies can combine workers'protection with job creation : a partial review of some key issues and policy options," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 41439, The World Bank.
    6. Badi H. Baltagi & Yusuf Soner Baskaya & Timur Hulagu, 2013. "How different are the wage curves for formal and informal workers? Evidence from Turkey," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(2), pages 271-283, June.
    7. Hector Elias Gutierrez Rufrancos, 2012. "The Mexican Wage Curve 2000-2003: A Quantile Analysis," Working Paper Series 3412, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    8. Esteban Sanroma & Raul Ramos, 2005. "Further Evidence on Disaggregated Wage Curves: The Case of Spain," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 8(3), pages 227-243, September.
    9. Marisa Carla Bucheli Anaya & Cecilia González Rodríguez-Villamil, 2012. "An estimation of the wage curve for Uruguay," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, June.
    10. Richard B. Freeman, 2009. "Labor Regulations, Unions, and Social Protection in Developing Countries: Market distortions or Efficient Institutions?," NBER Working Papers 14789, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2005. "The Wage Curve Reloaded," NBER Working Papers 11338, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. David Castro Lugo, 2006. "Curva salarial: una aplicación para el caso de México, 1993-2002," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 21(2), pages 233-273.
    13. Deller, Steven C., 2009. "Wages, Rent, Unemployment and Amenities," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 39(2), pages 1-14.
    14. Freeman, Richard B., 2010. "Labor Regulations, Unions, and Social Protection in Developing Countries," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4657-4702, Elsevier.
    15. Taiwo Aderemi, 2015. "Does the wage curve exist in Nigeria? Evidence from a disaggregated labour market," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 17(2), pages 184-199, October.
    16. Kazuyuki Inagaki, 2015. "Wage curve in dual labor markets: cross-sectional evidence from Japan," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 4(2), pages 51-56.
    17. Víctor M. Montuenga‐Gómez & José M. Ramos‐Parreño, 2005. "Reconciling the Wage Curve and the Phillips Curve," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(5), pages 735-765, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage curve; unemployment; inequality; Chile;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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