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Wage Rigidity and Disinflation in Emerging Countries

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  • Messina, Julián

    (Universidad de Alicante)

  • Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna

    (Universidad de Alicante)

Abstract

This paper examines the consequences of rapid disinflation for downward wage rigidities in two emerging countries, Brazil and Uruguay, relying on high quality matched employer-employee administrative data. Downward nominal wage rigidities are more important in Uruguay, while wage indexation is dominant in Brazil. Two regime changes are observed during the sample period, 1995-2004: (i) in Uruguay wage indexation declines, while workers' resistance to nominal wage cuts becomes more pronounced; and (ii) in Brazil, the introduction of inflation targeting by the Central Bank in 1999 shifts the focal point of wage negotiations from changes in the minimum wage to expected inflation. These regime changes cast doubts on the notion that wage rigidity is structural in the sense of Lucas (1976).

Suggested Citation

  • Messina, Julián & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2011. "Wage Rigidity and Disinflation in Emerging Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 5778, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5778
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    2. Anete Pajuste & Hernán Ruffo, 2017. "Wage rigidity and workers’ flows during recessions," SSE Riga/BICEPS Research Papers 4, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies (BICEPS);Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga).
    3. Luca Gambetti & Julián Messina, 2018. "Evolving Wage Cyclicality in Latin America," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 32(3), pages 709-726.
    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. Xie, Victoria Wenxin, 2024. "Labor market adjustment to extreme heat shocks: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 266-283.
    6. Juli?n Messina & Anna Sanz-de-Galdeano, 2014. "Wage Rigidity and Disinflation in Emerging Countries," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 102-133, January.
    7. Laura Juarez & Daniel Casarin de la Cabada, 2018. "Downward Wage Rigidities in the Mexican Labor Market: 1996–2011," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2018), pages 129-180.
    8. Gomez Ospina, Monica A., 2023. "Optimal monetary policy in developing countries: The role of informality," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    9. Antonia López-Villavicencio & Sophie Saglio, 2017. "The Wage Inflation-Unemployment Curve at the Macroeconomic Level," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 79(1), pages 55-78, February.
    10. Johannes Matschke & Jun Nie, 2022. "Downward Wage Rigidities and Recession Dynamics in Advanced and Emerging Economies," Research Working Paper RWP 22-10, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    11. Dias, Daniel A. & Marques, Carlos Robalo & Martins, Fernando, 2013. "Wage rigidity and employment adjustment at the firm level: Evidence from survey data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 40-49.
    12. W.F. Maloney & D. Lederman & J. Messina, 2011. "The Fall of Wage Flexibility," World Bank Publications - Reports 23575, The World Bank Group.
    13. De Schryder, Selien & Peersman, Gert & Wauters, Joris, 2020. "Wage indexation and the monetary policy regime," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    14. Agudelo, Sonia A. & Sala, Hector, 2017. "Wage Rigidities in Colombia: Measurement, Causes, and Policy Implications," IZA Discussion Papers 10669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Laura Juarez & Daniel Casarin de la Cabada, 2018. "Downward Wage Rigidities in the Mexican Labor Market: 1996–2011," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2018), pages 129-180, November.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    matched employer-employee data; indexation; downward wage rigidity; emerging economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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