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The Cost of Rigidity: The Case of the South African Labor Market

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  • Johannes Fedderke

    (1] Pennsylvania State University, 237 Katz, State College, PA 16802, USA.
    [2] University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
    [3] Economic Research Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.)

Abstract

The South African labor market has been characterized by high and persistent levels of unemployment, and a poor capacity to create jobs. This paper examines existing evidence on what rigidities have generated this outcome. Pricing power in output markets, as well as labor supply and demand side rigidities are all found to have contributed, resulting in excessive increases in real wage costs which under conditions of relatively low economic growth, has produced a stagnant labor market. Policy requirements are the pursuit of stonger economic growth and reductions in real labor costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Fedderke, 2012. "The Cost of Rigidity: The Case of the South African Labor Market," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 54(4), pages 809-842, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:54:y:2012:i:4:p:809-842
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    2. Romain Houssa & Jolan Mohimont & Chris Otrok, 2019. "A model for international spillovers to emerging markets," Working Paper Research 370, National Bank of Belgium.
    3. Serena Merrino, 2021. "Wage inequality under inflationtargeting in South Africa," Working Papers 11018, South African Reserve Bank.
    4. Dieter von Fintel, 2016. "Wage flexibility in a high unemployment regime: spatial heterogeneity and the size of local labour markets," Working Papers 09/2016, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    5. Erten, Bilge & Leight, Jessica & Tregenna, Fiona, 2019. "Trade liberalization and local labor market adjustment in South Africa," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 448-467.
    6. Robert Hill & Kezia Lilenstein & Amy Thornton, 2020. "Job spells in an emerging market: Evidence from apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-27, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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