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Productivity Growth: The Effect of Market Regulations

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Kent

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

  • John Simon

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of product and labour market regulation on growth in total factor productivity (TFP) using panel data from 1974–2003 for 18 OECD countries. Our regressions are specified so that labour and product market regulations can affect productivity both individually and in combination. While noting that the results are sensitive to the measure of labour market regulation used, we find some support for the hypothesis that lower initial levels of regulation are associated with higher TFP growth over subsequent years, and that labour and product market deregulation have more of an effect in combination. It also appears that product market deregulation has a larger positive effect on productivity growth the further a country is from the technological frontier.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Kent & John Simon, 2007. "Productivity Growth: The Effect of Market Regulations," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2007-04, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    • Handle: RePEc:rba:rbardp:rdp2007-04
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    File URL: https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2007/pdf/rdp2007-04.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Cingano & Marco Leonardi & Julián Messina & Giovanni Pica, 2010. "The effects of employment protection legislation and financial market imperfections on investment: evidence from a firm-level panel of EU countries [Technology and labour regulations]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 25(61), pages 117-163.
    2. Cceilia Iona Lasino & Giovanna Vallanti, 2011. "Reforms, labour market functioning and productivity dynamics: a sectoral analysis for Italy," Working Papers LuissLab 1193, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, LUISS Guido Carli.
    3. Daniel M. Rees & Penelope Smith & Jamie Hall, 2016. "A Multi-sector Model of the Australian Economy," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(298), pages 374-408, September.
    4. Mr. Thierry Tressel, 2008. "Does Technological Diffusion Explain Australia’s Productivity Performance?," IMF Working Papers 2008/004, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Francisco Javier Escribá-Pérez & María José Murgui-García, 2018. "Technology catching-up and regulation in European regions," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 95-109, February.
    6. Ben Dolman, 2009. "What Happened to Australia's Productivity Surge?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 42(3), pages 243-263, September.
    7. Yannis M. Ioannides & Christopher A. Pissarides, 2015. "Is the Greek Crisis One of Supply and Demand?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 46(2 (Fall)), pages 349-373.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    structural reform; TFP growth; OECD; panel regression;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

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