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Enforcement of Labor Regulation and the Labor Market Effects of Trade: Evidence from Brazil

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  • Ponczek, Vladimir
  • Ulyssea, Gabriel

Abstract

How does enforcement of labor regulations shape the labor market effects of trade? Does the informal sector introduce greater de facto flexibility, reducing employment losses during bad times? To tackle these questions, we exploit local economic shocks generated by trade liberalization and variation in enforcement capacity across local labor markets in Brazil. In the aftermath of the trade opening, regions with stricter enforcement observed: (i) lower informality effects; (ii) larger losses in overall employment; and (iii) greater reductions in the number of formal plants. Regions with weaker enforcement observed opposite effects. All these effects are concentrated on low-skill workers. Our results indicate that greater de facto labor market flexibility introduced by informality allows both formal firms and low-skill workers to cope better with adverse labor market shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Ponczek, Vladimir & Ulyssea, Gabriel, 2021. "Enforcement of Labor Regulation and the Labor Market Effects of Trade: Evidence from Brazil," CEPR Discussion Papers 15960, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15960
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    3. Camilo Bohorquez-Penuela & Andrea Otero-Cortes, 2020. "Blame it on the Rain: The Effects of Weather Shocks on Formal Rural Employment in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo Sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 018404, Banco de la República - Economía Regional.
    4. Langot, François & Merola, Rossana & Oh, Samil, 2022. "Can taxes help ensure a fair globalization?," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 191-213.
    5. Berniell, Inés & Berniell, Lucila & Mata, Dolores de la & Edo, María & Marchionni, Mariana, 2021. "Gender gaps in labor informality: The motherhood effect," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    6. Rodrigo Ceni & Gonzalo Salas, 2021. "Transfer program enforcement and children’s time allocation," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1099-1137, December.
    7. Paulo Bastos & Joana Silva & Eric Verhoogen, 2018. "Export Destinations and Input Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(2), pages 353-392, February.
    8. Engbom, Niklas & Gonzaga, Gustavo & Moser, Christian & Olivieri, Roberta, 2021. "Earnings Inequality and Dynamics in the Presence of Informality: The Case of Brazil," MPRA Paper 105758, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Garcia-Louzao, Jose & Hospido, Laura & Ruggieri, Alessandro, 2023. "Dual returns to experience," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    10. Filipe Correia & Gustavo S. Cortes & Thiago C. Silva, 2021. "Is Corporate Credit Risk Propagated to Employees?," Working Papers Series 551, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    11. Machado, Cecilia & Szerman, Christiane, 2021. "Centralized college admissions and student composition," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    12. Chakraborty, Pavel & Singh, Rahul & Soundararajan, Vidhya, 2022. "Import Competition, Formalization, and the Role of Contract Labor," IZA Discussion Papers 15760, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Robertson, Raymond & Vergara Bahena, Mexico Alberto & Lopez-Acevedo, Gladys, 2022. "Is International Trade Always Beneficial to Labor Markets? A Case Study from Egypt," IZA Discussion Papers 15626, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Mr. Jorge A Alvarez & Cian Ruane, 2019. "Informality and Aggregate Productivity: The Case of Mexico," IMF Working Papers 2019/257, International Monetary Fund.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Informality; Labor market flexibility; Trade;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market

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