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European vs. American Hours Worked: Assessing the Role of the Extensive and Intensive Margins

Author

Listed:
  • Langot, François

    (University of Le Mans)

  • Quintero Rojas, Coralia

    (University of Le Mans)

Abstract

Europeans have worked less than Americans since the 1970s. In this paper, we quantify the relative importance of the extensive and intensive margins of aggregate hours of market work on the observed differences. Our counterfactual exercises show that the two dimensions of the extensive margin, the employment rate and the participation rate, explain the most of the total-hours-gap between regions. Moreover, both ratios have similar weight. Conversely, the intensive margin, measured by the number of hours worked per employee, has the smallest role.

Suggested Citation

  • Langot, François & Quintero Rojas, Coralia, 2008. "European vs. American Hours Worked: Assessing the Role of the Extensive and Intensive Margins," IZA Discussion Papers 3846, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3846
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "Why do Americans work so much more than Europeans?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 28(Jul), pages 2-13.
    2. Layard, Richard & Nickell, Stephen & Jackman, Richard, 2005. "Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199279173, Decembrie.
    3. Mortensen, Dale T. & Pissarides, Christopher A., 1999. "Job reallocation, employment fluctuations and unemployment," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 18, pages 1171-1228, Elsevier.
    4. Ohanian, Lee & Raffo, Andrea & Rogerson, Richard, 2008. "Long-term changes in labor supply and taxes: Evidence from OECD countries, 1956-2004," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(8), pages 1353-1362, November.
    5. Lars Ljungqvist & Thomas J. Sargent, 2008. "Two Questions about European Unemployment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 76(1), pages 1-29, January.
    6. Langot, François & Quintero Rojas, Coralia, 2008. "Explaining the Evolution of Hours Worked and Employment across OECD Countries: An Equilibrium Search Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 3364, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Coralia A. Quintero Rojas & François Langot, 2016. "Explaining labor wedge trends: An equilibrium search approach," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 13(1), pages 3-35, June.
    2. Ronald Bachmann & Peggy Bechara & Anica Kramer & Sylvi Rzepka, 2015. "Labour market dynamics and worker heterogeneity during the Great Recession – Evidence from Europe," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-29, December.
    3. Patureau, Lise, 2012. "Labor market frictions and the international propagation mechanism," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 199-222.
    4. Merkl, Christian & Wesselbaum, Dennis, 2009. "Extensive vs. intensive margin in Germany and the United States: any differences?," Kiel Working Papers 1563, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Coralia Quintero-Rojas, 2009. "Hours Worked: Explaining Cross-Country Differences through the Effects of Tax/Benefit Systems on the Employment Rate," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 95-96, pages 79-102.
    6. Temel Taskin, 2013. "Intensive margin and extensive margin adjustments of labor market: Turkey versus United States," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(3), pages 2307-2319.
    7. Tino Berger & Freddy Heylen, 2011. "Differences in Hours Worked in the OECD: Institutions or Fiscal Policies?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(7), pages 1333-1369, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment; participation; hours of market work; intensive and extensive margins;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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