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How Different Are the Wage Curves for Formal and Informal Workers? Evidence from Turkey

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Abstract

This paper presents wage curves for formal and informal workers using a rich individual level data for Turkey over the period 2005-2009. The wage curve is an empirical regularity describing a negative relationship between regional unemployment rates and individuals' real wages. While this relationship has been well documented for a number of countries including Turkey, less attention has focused on how this relationship differs for informal versus formal employment. This is of utmost importance for less developed countries where informal employment plays a significant role in the economy. Using the Turkish Household Labor Force Survey for the period 2005-2009 observed over 26 NUTS-2 regions, we find that real hourly wages of informal workers in Turkey are more sensitive to variations in regional unemployment rates than wages of formal workers. This is true for all workers as well as for different gender and age groups Key Words: Formal/Informal Employment; Wage Curve; Regional Labor Markets JEL No. C26, J30, J60, O17

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  • Badi H. Baltagi & Yusuf Soner Baskaya & Timur Hulagu, 2012. "How Different Are the Wage Curves for Formal and Informal Workers? Evidence from Turkey," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 145, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    • Handle: RePEc:max:cprwps:145
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    Cited by:

    1. Selin Pelek, 2018. "The Impact of the Minimum Wage on Wage Distribution: The Evidence from Turkey," Ekonomi-tek - International Economics Journal, Turkish Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 17-59, January.
    2. Cem Başlevent & Ayşenur Acar, 2015. "Recent trends in informal employment in Turkey," Yildiz Social Science Review, Yildiz Technical University, vol. 1(1), pages 77-88.
    3. Joan Daouli & Michael Demoussis & Nicholas Giannakopoulos & Ioannis Laliotis, 2017. "The wage curve before and during the Greek economic crisis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 59-77, February.
    4. Andrzej Cieślik & Bartłomiej Rokicki, 2016. "Individual wages and regional market potential," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 24(4), pages 661-682, October.
    5. Becker, Dennis, 2014. "Heterogeneous Firms and Informality: The Effects of Trade Liberalization on Labor Markets," Working Papers 180124, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    6. Ana Maria Bonomi Barufi & Eduardo A. Haddad, Peter Nijkamp, 2016. "New evidence on the wage curve: non-linearities, urban size, and spatial scale in Brazil," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2016_39, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    7. Badi H. Baltagi & Bartlomiej Rokicki & Kênia Barreiro Souza, 2017. "The Brazilian wage curve: new evidence from the National Household Survey," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 267-286, August.
    8. Afşin Şahin & Aysit Tansel & M. Hakan Berument, 2015. "Output–Employment Relationship Across Sectors: A Long- Versus Short-Run Perspective," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 265-288, July.
    9. Badi H. Baltagi & Yusuf Soner Başkaya, 2022. "Spatial wage curves for formal and informal workers in Turkey," Journal of Spatial Econometrics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, December.
    10. Dennis Becker, 2018. "Heterogeneous firms and informality: the effects of trade liberalization on labour markets," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 70(1), pages 47-72.
    11. Haci Mevlut Karatas, 2017. "The Turkish Spatial Wage Curve," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Afşin Şahin & Aysit Tansel & M. Hakan Berument, 2015. "Output–Employment Relationship Across Sectors: A Long- Versus Short-Run Perspective," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 265-288, July.
    13. Taiwo Aderemi, 2015. "Does the wage curve exist in Nigeria? Evidence from a disaggregated labour market," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 17(2), pages 184-199, October.
    14. Kazuyuki Inagaki, 2015. "Wage curve in dual labor markets: cross-sectional evidence from Japan," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 4(2), pages 51-56.
    15. Ana Barufi & Eduardo Haddad & Peter Nijkamp, 2016. "A comprehensive analysis of the wage curve in Brazil: Non-linearities, urban size, and the spatial dimension," ERSA conference papers ersa16p279, European Regional Science Association.
    16. Rokicki, Bartlomiej & Blien, Uwe & Hewings, Geoffrey J. D. & Phan thi Hong, Van, 2020. "Is there a Wage Curve with Regional Real Wages?," IAB-Discussion Paper 202017, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    formal/informal employment; wage curve; regional labor markets jel no. c26; j30; j60; o17;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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