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Lost in Transition? Minimum Wage Effects on German Construction Workers

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  • 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 of Labor Economics (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 of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Helmut Apel & Ronald Bachmann & Stefan Bender & Philipp Berge & Michael Fertig & Hanna Frings & Marion König & Joachim Möller & Alfredo Paloyo & Sandra Schaffner & Marcus Tamm & Matthias Umkehrer & St, 2012. "Arbeitsmarktwirkungen der Mindestlohneinführung im Bauhauptgewerbe [Labour Market Effects of the Minimum Wage Introduction in the Main Construction Sector]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 45(3), pages 257-277, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Mueller, Kai-Uwe & Steiner, Viktor, 2013. "Behavioral effects of a federal minimum wage and income inequality in Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79784, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Philipp Berge & Hanna Frings, 2020. "High-impact minimum wages and heterogeneous regions," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 701-729, August.
    7. Dirk Bursian, 2017. "Solving RE models with discontinuous policy rules – an application to minimum wage setting in Germany," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(15), pages 1121-1126, September.
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    9. Schumann, Mathias, 2017. "The effects of minimum wages on firm-financed apprenticeship training," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 163-181.
    10. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum wage; labour market flows; difference-in-differences; linked employer-employee;
    All these keywords.

    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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