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Lost in Transition? Minimum Wage Effects on German Construction Workers

Author

Listed:
  • Bachmann, Ronald

    () (RWI)

  • König, Marion

    () (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg)

  • Schaffner, Sandra

    () (RWI)

Abstract

Using a linked employer-employee data set on the German construction industry, we analyse the effects of the introduction of minimum wages in this sector on labour market dynamics. In doing so, we focus on accessions and separations, as well as the underlying labour market flows, at the establishment level. The fact that minimum wages in Germany are sector-specific enables us to use other industries as control groups within a difference-in-differences framework. We find that both accessions and separations rise in East Germany as a result of the minimum wage introduction. The evidence on detailed worker flows suggests that this is mainly due to increased recalls. Furthermore, the minimum wage introduction lowered job-to-job transitions in East Germany, which can be explained by a more compressed wage distribution making on-the-job search less worthwhile. No clear effects on labour market dynamics in West Germany arise.

Suggested Citation

  • Bachmann, Ronald & König, Marion & Schaffner, Sandra, 2012. "Lost in Transition? Minimum Wage Effects on German Construction Workers," IZA Discussion Papers 6760, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6760
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dube, Arindrajit & Lester, T. William & Reich, Michael, 2011. "Do Frictions Matter in the Labor Market? Accessions, Separations and Minimum Wage Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 5811, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    2. Mortensen, Dale & Pissarides, Christopher, 2011. "Job Creation and Job Destruction in the Theory of Unemployment," Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 1, pages 1-19.
    3. Pierre Brochu & David A. Green, 2013. "The Impact of Minimum Wages on Labour Market Transitions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 123(12), pages 1203-1235, December.
    4. David Neumark & William L. Wascher, 2008. "Minimum Wages," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262141027, January.
    5. Pedro Portugal & Ana Rute Cardoso, 2006. "Disentangling the Minimum Wage Puzzle: An Analysis of Worker Accessions and Separations," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(5), pages 988-1013, September.
    6. Hanna Frings, 2013. "The Employment Effect of Industry-Specific, Collectively Bargained Minimum Wages," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 14(3), pages 258-281, August.
    7. Hethey, Tanja & Schmieder, Johannes F., 2010. "Using worker flows in the analysis of establishment turnover : evidence from German administrative data," FDZ Methodenreport 201006_en, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    8. Ronald Bachmann & Thomas K. Bauer & Hanna Frings, 2014. "Minimum Wages as a Barrier to Entry: Evidence from Germany," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 28(3), pages 338-357, September.
    9. Marion König & Joachim Möller, 2009. "Impacts of minimum wages: a microdata analysis for the German construction sector," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 30(7), pages 716-741, November.
    10. Apel, Helmut & Bachmann, Ronald & Bender, Stefan & Vom Berge, Philipp & Fertig, Michael & Frings, Hanna & König, Marion & Möller, Joachim & Paloyo, Alfredo R. & Schaffner, Sandra & Tamm, Marcus & Umke, 2012. "Arbeitsmarktwirkungen der Mindestlohneinführung im Bauhauptgewerbe," EconStor Open Access Articles, ZBW - German National Library of Economics, pages 257-277.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Card & Jörg Heining & Patrick Kline, 2013. "Workplace Heterogeneity and the Rise of West German Wage Inequality," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 128(3), pages 967-1015.
    2. Philipp vom Berge & Hanna Frings & Alfredo R. Paloyo, 2013. "High-Impact Minimum Wages and Heterogeneous Regions," Ruhr Economic Papers 0408, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Jonathan Meer & Jeremy West, 2016. "Effects of the Minimum Wage on Employment Dynamics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(2), pages 500-522.
    4. Bernhard Boockmann & Raimund Krumm & Michael Neumann & Pia Rattenhuber, 2013. "Turning the Switch: An Evaluation of the Minimum Wage in the German Electrical Trade Using Repeated Natural Experiments," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 14(3), pages 316-348, August.
    5. vom Berge, Philipp & Frings, Hanna & Paloyo, Alfredo R., 2013. "High-Impact Minimum Wages and Heterogeneous Regions," Ruhr Economic Papers 408, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Mueller, Kai-Uwe & Steiner, Viktor, 2013. "Behavioral effects of a federal minimum wage and income inequality in Germany," Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79784, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Bursian, Dirk, 2016. "Solving RE models with discontinuous policy rules: An application to minimum wage setting in Germany," Discussion Papers 35/2016, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    8. Christopoulou Rebekka, 2013. "Why Have Labour Market Outcomes of Youth in Advanced Economies Deteriorated?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 203-238, May.
    9. repec:zbw:rwirep:0408 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum wage; labour market flows; difference-in-differences; linked employer-employee;

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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