IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/apk/doctra/1906.html

Labor Demand Dynamics in Costa Rica

Author

Listed:
  • Alonso Alfaro-Ureña

    (Economic Division, Central Bank of Costa Rica)

  • Valerie Lankester-Campos

    (Department of Economic Research, Central Bank of Costa Rica)

Abstract

This paper studies the determinants of the labor demand in Costa Rica through firm level data. It also characterizes formal employment during the last 15 years through a set of stylized facts. The results suggest that: (i) the neoclassical theory of employment holds, (ii) wages are a stronger determinant for labor demand in the manufacturing and construction industries, (iii) employment is more persistent in larger firms, (iv) larger and more technological industries adjust their headcount more heavily to changes in wages and revenue and (v) Costa Rican labor demand is more sensitive to changes in wages but less to changes in production than similar economies. *** Resumen: El presente documento estudia los determinantes de la demanda laboral de la economía costarricense, para lo cual se utilizan datos a nivel de firma. Además, describe el empleo formal mediante un conjunto de hechos estilizados. Los resultados sugieren que: (i) la teoría neoclásica del empleo se cumple, (ii) los salarios son un determinante más fuerte de la demanda laboral en la industrias manufactureras y de construcción, (iii) el nivel de empleo es más persistente en las firmas grandes, (iv) las firmas más grandes y tecnológicas ajustan en mayor medida su planilla ante cambios en salarios e ingresos y (v) la demanda laboral costarricense es más sensible a cambios en los salarios pero menos a cambios en la producción que la de economías similares.

Suggested Citation

  • Alonso Alfaro-Ureña & Valerie Lankester-Campos, 2019. "Labor Demand Dynamics in Costa Rica," Documentos de Trabajo 1906, Banco Central de Costa Rica.
    • Handle: RePEc:apk:doctra:1906
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://repositorioinvestigaciones.bccr.fi.cr/handle/20.500.12506/316
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    2. Azizur Rahman Khan, 2007. "Growth, employment and poverty: An analysis of the vital nexus based on some recent UNDP and ILO/SIDA studies," Working Papers 49, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    3. Lau, Lawrence J., 1976. "A characterization of the normalized restricted profit function," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 131-163, February.
    4. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    5. J. P. Gould, 1968. "Adjustment Costs in the Theory of Investment of the Firm," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 35(1), pages 47-55.
    6. Hamermesh, Daniel S, 1992. "A General Model of Dynamic Labor Demand," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(4), pages 733-737, November.
    7. Windmeijer, Frank, 2005. "A finite sample correction for the variance of linear efficient two-step GMM estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 25-51, May.
    8. Thomas Hatzichronoglou, 1997. "Revision of the High-Technology Sector and Product Classification," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 1997/2, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Walch, Florian & Dwenger, Nadja, 2011. "Tax Losses and Firm Investment: Evidence from Tax Statistics," VfS Annual Conference 2011 (Frankfurt, Main): The Order of the World Economy - Lessons from the Crisis 48699, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Jung, Sven, 2013. "Employment Adjustment in German Firms," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79696, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Sven Jung, 2014. "Employment adjustment in German firms [Betriebliche Beschäftigungsanpassung in Deutschland]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 47(1), pages 83-106, March.
    4. Nadja Dwenger, 2014. "User Cost Elasticity of Capital Revisited," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 81(321), pages 161-186, January.
    5. Vieira, Flávio & MacDonald, Ronald & Damasceno, Aderbal, 2012. "The role of institutions in cross-section income and panel data growth models: A deeper investigation on the weakness and proliferation of instruments," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 127-140.
    6. Hakkala, Katariina & Heyman, Fredrik & Sjöholm, Fredrik, 2007. "Cross-Border Acquisitions, Multinationals and Wage Elasticities," Working Paper Series 709, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    7. Yue Teng & Dic Lo, 2019. "Determinants of Developing Countries' Export Upgrading: The Role of China and Productive Investment," Working Papers 227, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    8. Rostand Arland Yebetchou Tchounkeu & Raffaella Santolini & Giulio Palomba & Elvina Merkaj, 2024. "Healthcare Efficiency And Elderly Mortality In Italy," Working Papers 485, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    9. Nuno Carlos LEITÃO & Muhammad SHAHBAZ, 2012. "Migration and Tourism Demand," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(2(567)), pages 39-48, February.
    10. Kate Hynes & Yum K. Kwan & Anthony Foley, 2017. "Local linkages: The interdependence of foreign and domestic firms," GRU Working Paper Series GRU_2017_006, City University of Hong Kong, Department of Economics and Finance, Global Research Unit.
    11. Alessandra Canepa & Fawaz Khaled, 2018. "Housing, Housing Finance and Credit Risk," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-23, May.
    12. Benlagha, Noureddine & Hemrit, Wael, 2020. "Internet use and insurance growth: evidence from a panel of OECD countries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    13. Ioanna Boulouta, 2013. "Hidden Connections: The Link Between Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Social Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(2), pages 185-197, March.
    14. Mr. Andrew J Swiston & Mr. Luis D Barrot, 2011. "The Role of Structural Reforms in Raising Economic Growth in Central America," IMF Working Papers 2011/248, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Briglauer, Wolfgang & Dürr, Niklas & Gugler, Klaus, 2021. "A retrospective study on the regional benefits and spillover effects of high-speed broadband networks: Evidence from German counties," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    16. Becker, Anthony D. & Judge, Rebecca P., 2012. "Measuring the Effects of Decoupled Payments on Indica Rice Production Under the 1996 and 2002 Farm Bills," Working Papers 120073, St. Olaf College, Department of Economic.
    17. Samuel Fosu, 2013. "Banking Competition in Africa: Sub-regional Comparative Studies," Discussion Papers in Economics 13/12, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester, revised Jun 2013.
    18. Baah Aye Kusi & Lydia Adzobu & Alex Kwame Abasi & Kwadjo Ansah-Adu, 2020. "Sectoral Loan Portfolio Concentration and Bank Stability: Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 19(1), pages 66-99, April.
    19. Baharumshah, Ahmad Zubaidi & Slesman, Ly & Wohar, Mark E., 2016. "Inflation, inflation uncertainty, and economic growth in emerging and developing countries: Panel data evidence," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 638-657.
    20. Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Anamaria Diana Sova & Robert Sova, 2024. "The Covid‐19 pandemic and European trade flows: Evidence from a dynamic panel model," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 2563-2580, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:apk:doctra:1906. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Departamento de Investigación Económica (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/bccrrcr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.