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Wage Rigidities in Colombia: Measurement, Causes, and Policy Implications

Author

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  • Agudelo, Sonia A.

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Sala, Hector

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the extent of wage rigidities in Colombia over a period, 2002-2014, in which the fall in unemployment was relatively slow with respect to sustained economic growth. Following Holden and Wulfsberg (2009), we compute a measure of downward real wage rigidity (DRWR) of 12.09%, four times bigger than their aggregate estimate for the OECD economies. Moreover, in contrast to the evidence for the advanced economies, the determinants of such rigidities show no connection to the wage bargaining system. Amid the absence of effective labor market institutions to make rigidities less prevalent, economic growth appears as the most powerful mechanism to ward them off. Under this light, we provide a stylized description of the wage setting rule in Colombia, compare it with the common one in the advanced economies, and call for a far-reaching reform of the Colombian wage bargaining setup.

Suggested Citation

  • Agudelo, Sonia A. & Sala, Hector, 2017. "Wage Rigidities in Colombia: Measurement, Causes, and Policy Implications," IZA Discussion Papers 10669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10669
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. M. Antonella Mancino, Leonardo Fabio Morales, Diego F. Salazar, 2024. "Signaling Worker Quality in a Developing Country: Lessons from a Certification Program," LCERPA Working Papers bm0143, Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis.
    2. Fei Peng & Sajid Anwar & Lili Kang, 2020. "Job Movement and Real Wage Flexibility in Eastern and Western Parts of Germany," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 44(4), pages 764-789, October.
    3. Lebow Jeremy, 2022. "The labor market effects of Venezuelan migration to Colombia: reconciling conflicting results†," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 13(1), pages 1-49, January.
    4. Juarez, Laura & de la Cabada, Daniel Casarin, 2018. "Downward wage rigidities in the Mexican labor market: 1996–2011," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 123358, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. M. Antonella Mancino & Leonardo Fabio Morales & Diego F. Salazar, 2023. "Signaling Worker Quality in a Developing Country: Lessons from a Certification Program," Borradores de Economia 1259, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    6. Arango, Luis E. & Rivera, Sergio A., 2022. "Moderate wage increases and flexible labour contracts to protect employment in Colombian manufacturing," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 578-598.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum wage; wage bargaining; downward real wage rigidity; informality; unemployment;
    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
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J48 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Particular Labor Markets; Public Policy
    • J58 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Public Policy

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