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Labor Market Reforms and Current Account Imbalances: Beggar-Thy-Neighbor Policies in a Currency Union?

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  • Baas, Timo

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

  • Belke, Ansgar H.

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

Abstract

Member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) initiated wide-ranging labor market reforms in the last decade. This process is ongoing as countries that are faced with serious labor market imbalances perceive reforms as the fastest way to restore competitiveness within a currency union. This fosters fears among observers about a beggar-thy-neighbor policy that leaves non-reforming countries with a loss in competitiveness and an increase in foreign debt. Using a two-country, two-sector search and matching DSGE model, we analyze the impact of labor market reforms on the transmission of macroeconomic shocks in both, non-reforming and reforming countries. By analyzing the impact of reforms on foreign debt, we contribute to the debate on whether labor market reforms increase or reduce current account imbalances.

Suggested Citation

  • Baas, Timo & Belke, Ansgar H., 2014. "Labor Market Reforms and Current Account Imbalances: Beggar-Thy-Neighbor Policies in a Currency Union?," IZA Discussion Papers 8453, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8453
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    1. Labor market reforms and current account imbalances: Beggar-thy-neighbor policies in a currency union?
      by Christian Zimmermann in NEP-DGE blog on 2015-07-17 18:48:53

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    Cited by:

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    2. Baas, Timo & Belke, Ansgar, 2017. "Oil price shocks, monetary policy and current account imbalances within a currency union," CEPS Papers 13334, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    3. Bursian, Dirk & Goldbach, Stefan & Jochem, Axel & Nagengast, Arne & Schön, Matthias & Stähler, Nikolai & Vetlov, Igor, 2020. "A model-based analysis of the German current account surplus," Technical Papers 03/2020, Deutsche Bundesbank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    current account deficit; labor market reforms; DSGE models; search and matching labor market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements

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