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Aggregate Wage Flexibility in Selected New EU Member States

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  • Ian Babetskii

Abstract

A fixed exchange rate regime eliminates one degree of freedom in absorbing macroeconomic shocks. Therefore, there is a call for higher labor market flexibility in countries which are members of the monetary union or those which intend to join the monetary union. Focusing on the cross-country analysis of labor markets in the enlarged European Union, this paper aims to assess empirically the role of aggregate wages as a correction mechanism for dealing with economic disturbances. A comparable quarterly data-set is constructed covering 1995-2004 for four central European states (CE-4), four new EU members already participating in the Exchange Rate Mechanism-II (ERM-II participants), and three peripheral members of the euro area (EMU- 3). We apply classical time series/panel, Bayesian, and cointegration techniques to determine the extent to which aggregate wages can accommodate shocks in the economy. The macroeconomic data does not seem to support the argument that real wages are flexible in the CE-4, the ERM-II participants, and the EMU-3.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Babetskii, 2006. "Aggregate Wage Flexibility in Selected New EU Member States," Working Papers 2006/1, Czech National Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:cnb:wpaper:2006/1
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    Cited by:

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    2. Raul Eamets, 2013. "Labour market and labour market policies during great recession: the case of Estonia," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-25, December.
    3. VAN POECK, André & VEINER, Maret, 2007. "Wage flexibility in the new European Union members: How different from the old?," Working Papers 2007016, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    4. Simona Ferraro & Jaanika Meriküll & Karsten Staehr, 2018. "Minimum wages and the wage distribution in Estonia," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(49), pages 5253-5268, October.
    5. Rusinova, Desislava & Lipatov, Vilen & Heinz, Frigyes Ferdinand, 2015. "How flexible are real wages in EU countries? A panel investigation," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 140-154.
    6. Jan Babecky & Oxana Babetskaia-Kukharchuk & Kamil Galuscak & Dana Hajkova & Jaroslav Hermanek & Tomas Holub & Roman Horvath & Petr Jakubik & Lubos Komarek & Zlatuse Komarkova & Petr Kral & Filip Novot, 2008. "Analyses of the Czech Republic's Current Economic Alignment with the Euro Area 2008," Occasional Publications - Edited Volumes, Czech National Bank, number as08 edited by Dana Hajkova, January.
    7. Marianna Cervena, 2012. "Labor Cost Adjustment: Evidence From a Survey of Slovak Firms," Working and Discussion Papers WP 4/2012, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    8. Ilias Livanos, 2010. "The Wage-Local Unemployment Relationship in a Highly Regulated Labour Market: Greece," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 389-400.
    9. Zuzanna Urbanowicz, 2015. "Nieadekwatność polityki pieniężnej Europejskiego Banku Centralnego w procesie stabilizacji makroekonomicznej w strefie euro," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 5-25.
    10. Cuestas, Juan Carlos & Gil-Alana, Luis A., 2018. "Oil price shocks and unemployment in Central and Eastern Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 164-173.
    11. Gunther Schnabl & Christina Ziegler, 2008. "Exchange Rate Regime and Wage Determination in Central and Eastern Europe," CESifo Working Paper Series 2471, CESifo.
    12. Ms. Manuela Goretti, 2008. "Wage-Price Setting in New EU Member States," IMF Working Papers 2008/243, International Monetary Fund.
    13. Marianna Cervena, 2012. "Base Wage Rigidities: Evidence From a Survey of Slovak Firms," Working and Discussion Papers WP 3/2012, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    14. Robert Anderton & Arno Hantzsche & Simon Savsek & Máté Tóth, 2017. "Sectoral Wage Rigidities and Labour and Product Market Institutions in the Euro Area," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 28(5), pages 923-965, November.
    15. Van Poeck Andrè & Veiner Maret & Plasmans Joseph, 2007. "Wage flexibility in the new European Union members: How different form the “old” members?," wp.comunite 0006, Department of Communication, University of Teramo.
    16. Vladimir Gligorov & Anna Iara & Michael Landesmann & Robert Stehrer & Hermine Vidovic, 2008. "Western Balkan Countries: Adjustment Capacity to External Shocks, with a Focus on Labour Markets," wiiw Research Reports 352, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    17. Lupu, Dan, 2012. "Public sector pay policy in East European countries," MPRA Paper 37720, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Pavel Gertler, 2010. "The wage curve: A panel data view of labour market segments," Working and Discussion Papers WP 3/2010, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    19. Gunther Schnabl, 2005. "The Russian Currency Basket: The Rising Role of the Euro for Russia’s Exchange Rate Policies," International Finance 0512005, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    . ERM-II; euro adoption; labor market; wage flexibility.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • P20 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - General

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