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Explaining Eastern Germany's Wage Gap: The Impact of Structural Change

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  • Bernd Gorzig
  • Martin Gornig
  • Axel Werwatz

Abstract

Since Eastern Germany's conversion to a market economy wages have remained considerably below the West German wage level. This article looks at the role of establishment-specific factors—such as sectoral affiliation and size of the labour force—in this process. A non-parametric decomposition that has played a prominent role in the gender wage gap literature is applied to breakdown the East-West wage gap into its constituent components. Using establishment data from German employment statistics, the article demonstrates that the catching-up process of Eastern Germany's wage level is hindered by the shift in its economic structure towards lower-paying types of companies, which has caused the lagging behind in the adjustment of wages.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernd Gorzig & Martin Gornig & Axel Werwatz, 2005. "Explaining Eastern Germany's Wage Gap: The Impact of Structural Change," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 449-464.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:pocoec:v:17:y:2005:i:4:p:449-464
    DOI: 10.1080/14631370500350744
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    2. Magda, Iga & Salach, Katarzyna, 2019. "Gender Pay Gap Patterns in Domestic and Foreign-Owned Firms," IZA Discussion Papers 12453, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Rycx, François & Saks, Yves & Tojerow, Ilan, 2016. "Misalignment of Productivity and Wages across Regions? Evidence from Belgian Matched Panel Data," IZA Discussion Papers 10336, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. repec:jns:jbstat:v:227:y:2007:i:2:p:168-186 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Arne Uhlendorff, 2006. "From No Pay to Low Pay and Back Again?: A Multi-State Model of Low Pay Dynamics," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 648, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Regina T. Riphahn & Irakli Sauer, 2024. "Earnings Assimilation of Post-Reunification East German Migrants in West Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 11233, CESifo.
    7. Magda, Iga & Cukrowska-Torzewska, Ewa, 2018. "Do Female Managers Help to Lower Within-Firm Gender Pay Gaps? Public Institutions vs. Private Enterprises," IZA Discussion Papers 12026, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Görzig Bernd & Gornig Martin & Werwatz Axel, 2007. "Produktdiversifizierung: Konvergenz zwischen ost- und westdeutschen Unternehmen / Product Diversification: Have East-German Enterprises Caught-Up with the West?: Eine Dekomposition mit Mikrodaten der ," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 227(2), pages 168-186, April.
    9. Jan Kluge & Michael Weber, 2015. "Decomposing the German East-West wage gap," ifo Working Paper Series 205, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    10. Bernd Gorzig & Martin Gornig & Ramona Voshage & Axel Werwatz, 2010. "Eastern Germany on the brink of closing the productivity gap? Firm level evidence from manufacturing," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 499-511.
    11. Bachmann, Ronald & Bauer, Thomas K. & Kröger, Hanna & Schaffner, Sandra & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2012. "Tarifsystem stabilisieren: Drucksache 17/8148. Stellungnahme zur Anhörung des Ausschusses für Arbeit und Soziales des Deutschen Bundestages am 6. Februar 2012," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 72592, March.
    12. Bernd Görzig & Martin Gornig & Laurence Nayman, 2012. "Productivity Transitions in Large Mature Economies: France, Germany and the UK," Chapters, in: Matilde Mas & Robert Stehrer (ed.), Industrial Productivity in Europe, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Jens Holscher & Cristiano Perugini & Fabrizio Pompei, 2011. "Wage inequality, labour market flexibility and duality in Eastern and Western Europe," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 271-310.
    14. Juan Carlos Martinez Oliva, 2009. "Riunificazione intertedesca e politiche per la convergenza," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 14, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    15. Stephani, Jens, 2013. "Does it matter where you work? : employer characteristics and the wage growth of low-wage workers and higher-wage workers," IAB-Discussion Paper 201304, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    16. Jan Kluge & Michael Weber, 2018. "Decomposing the German East–West wage gap," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(1), pages 91-125, January.
    17. Bachmann, Ronald & Bauer, Thomas K. & Kröger, Hanna & Schaffner, Sandra & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2012. "Tarifvertragssystem stärken - Allgemeinverbindliche Tariflöhne und branchenspezifische Mindestlöhne erleichtern. Stellungnahme zur Anhörung des Ausschusses für Arbeit und Soziales des Deutschen Bundes," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 72615, March.
    18. Michael Gühne & Gunther Markwardt, 2014. "Lohnunterschiede zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland: Neue Einsichten," ifo Dresden berichtet, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 21(03), pages 37-44, June.

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