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Pattern Bargaining and Wage Leadership in a Small Open Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Calmfors, Lars

    (Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University)

  • Larsson, Anna

    (Department of Economics, Stockholm University)

Abstract

Pattern bargaining where the tradables (manufacturing) sector acts as wage leader is a common form of wage bargaining in Europe. Our results question the conventional wisdom that such a bargaining set-up produces wage restraint. We find that all forms of pattern bargaining give the same macroeconomic outcomes as uncoordinated bargaining under inflation targeting and a flexible exchange rate. Under monetary union (a fixed exchange rate) wage leadership for the non-tradables sector is conducive to wage restraint and high employment, whereas wage leadership for the tradables sector is not. Loss aversion and comparison thinking in wage setting, where unions evaluate the utility of the wages of their members relative to a wage norm, may lead the follower to set the same wage as the leader. Such equilibria can arise when the leader sector is the smaller sector and promote high employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Calmfors, Lars & Larsson, Anna, 2009. "Pattern Bargaining and Wage Leadership in a Small Open Economy," Seminar Papers 760, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:iiessp:0760
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    Cited by:

    1. Boug, Pål & Brasch, Thomas von & Cappelen, Ådne & Hammersland, Roger & Hungnes, Håvard & Kolsrud, Dag & Skretting, Julia & Strøm, Birger & Vigtel, Trond C., 2023. "Fiscal policy, macroeconomic performance and industry structure in a small open economy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Evangelia Papapetrou & Pinelopi Tsalaporta, 2018. "Macroeconomic outcomes, collective bargaining and intersectoral productivity differentials: a panel approach," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 45(4), pages 765-799, November.
    3. Goran Vukšić, 2012. "Sectoral wage dynamics and intersectoral linkages in the context of export competitiveness: the case of Croatia," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 99, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    4. Marit Gjelsvik & Ragnar Nymoen & Victoria Sparrman, 2020. "Cointegration and Structure in Norwegian Wage–Price Dynamics," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Gjelsvik, Marit Linnea & Nymoen, Ragnar & Sparrman, Victoria, 2015. "Have Inflation Targeting and EU labour Immigration Changed the System of Wage Formation in Norway," Memorandum 18/2015, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    6. Petteri Juvonen, 2023. "Wage‐setting coordination in a small open economy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(1), pages 253-286, January.
    7. Camarero, Mariam & D'Adamo, Gaetano & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2014. "Wage leadership models: A country-by-country analysis of the EMU," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 44(S1), pages 2-11.
    8. Andreas Wörgötter & Sihle Nomdebevana, 2020. "Aggregate Public-Private Remuneration Patterns in South Africa," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(4), pages 461-474, December.
    9. Calmfors, Lars, 2025. "Pattern Bargaining as a Means to Coordinate Wages in the Nordic Countries," Working Paper Series 1517, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    10. Aleksandra Parteka & Joanna Wolszczak-Derlacz, 2015. "Integrated sectors - diversified earnings: the (missing) impact of offshoring on wages and wage convergence in the EU27," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(3), pages 325-350, September.
    11. Lars Calmfors, 2012. "Sweden - from Macroeconomic Failure to Macroeconomic Success," CESifo Working Paper Series 3790, CESifo.
    12. Bengtsson, Erik, 2019. "The Origins of the Swedish Wage Bargaining Model," Lund Papers in Economic History 195, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    13. Andreas Wrgtter & Sihle Nomdebevana, 2019. "Aggregate and sectoral publicprivate remuneration patterns in South Africa," Working Papers 9382, South African Reserve Bank.
    14. Mariam Camarero & Gaetano D’Adamo & Cecilio Tamarit, 2014. "The role of Institutions in explaining wage determination in the Euro Area: a panel cointegration approach," Working Papers 2014/15, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).

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    Keywords

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    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
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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