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The Structural Determinants of the Labor Share in Europe

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  • Dilyana Dimova

Abstract

The labor share in Europe has been on a downward trend. This paper finds that the decline is concentrated in manufacture and among low- to mid-skilled workers. The shifting nature of employment away from full-time jobs and a rollback of employment protection, unemployment benefits and unemployment benefits have been the main contributors. Technology and globalization hurt sectors where jobs are routinizable but helped others that require specialized skills. High-skilled professionals gained labor share driven by productivity aided by flexible work environments, while low- and mid-skilled workers lost labor share owing to globalization and the erosion of labor market safety nets.

Suggested Citation

  • Dilyana Dimova, 2019. "The Structural Determinants of the Labor Share in Europe," IMF Working Papers 2019/067, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/067
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dreger, Christian & Fourné, Marius & Holtemöller, Oliver, 2023. "Globalization, productivity growth, and labor compensation," IWH Discussion Papers 7/2022, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), revised 2023.
    3. Bellocchi, Alessandro & Marin, Giovanni & Travaglini, Giuseppe, 2023. "The labor share puzzle: Empirical evidence for European countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Federico Riccio & Lorenzo Cresti & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2022. "The labour share along global value chains. Perspectives and evidence from sectoral interdependence," LEM Papers Series 2022/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    5. Donghyun Park & Kwanho Shin, 2022. "Aging and labor share of income in Korea," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 36(4), pages 432-457, December.
    6. Kónya, István & Krekó, Judit & Oblath, Gábor, 2020. "Labor shares in the old and new EU member states - Sectoral effects and the role of relative prices," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 254-272.
    7. Federico Riccio & Giovanni Dosi & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2023. "Smile without a reason why: functional specialisation and income distribution along global value chains," LEM Papers Series 2023/31, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    8. Mariola Piłatowska & Dorota Witkowska, 2022. "Gender Segregation at Work over Business Cycle—Evidence from Selected EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    9. Alessandro Bellocchi & Giovanni Marin & Giuseppe Travaglini, 2021. "The Great Fall of Labor Share:Micro Determinants for EU Countries Over 2011-2019," Working Papers 2102, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2021.
    10. Hubert Drazkowski & Sebastian Zalas, 2023. "The evolution of labor share in Poland. New evidence from firm-level data," GRAPE Working Papers 82, GRAPE Group for Research in Applied Economics.
    11. Anatolijs Prohorovs & Julija Bistrova, 2022. "Labour Share Convergence in the European Union," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Sebastian Zalas & Hubert Drążkowski, 2023. "The Evolution of the Labour Share in Poland: New Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 13-33.
    13. Anita Szymańska & Małgorzata Zielenkiewicz, 2022. "Declining Labour Income Share and Personal Income Inequality in Advanced Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-14, August.

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