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The labour market effects of financial crises : The role of temporary contracts in Central and Western Europe

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  • Siddharth Sharma
  • Hernan Winkler

Abstract

This paper examines how the 2008–2009 financial crisis affected labour markets in Europe, and how this impact depended on employment protection laws. Using a difference†in†differences approach, our estimates isolate the effect of the lack of credit on the labour market from that of the general decline in aggregate economic activity. We find large and negative impacts of the credit shock on total employment, particularly on temporary, unskilled and young workers. These impacts were significantly larger in countries with stronger legal protection of permanent workers from dismissal. This suggests that the differential impact of the crisis across countries was not entirely driven by the heterogeneity of the credit shock, but also by labour regulations. Given regulatory inflexibility in adjusting the permanent workforce, firms responded to tightening financial constraints by disproportionately laying off temporary workers (who tend to be younger and less skilled than permanent workers).

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  • Siddharth Sharma & Hernan Winkler, 2018. "The labour market effects of financial crises : The role of temporary contracts in Central and Western Europe," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(1), pages 35-60, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:etrans:v:26:y:2018:i:1:p:35-60
    DOI: 10.1111/ecot.12141
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    Cited by:

    1. Jesus Ferreiro & Carmen Gomez, 2022. "Employment protection, employment and unemployment rates in European Union countries during the Great Recession," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 240-258, July.
    2. Bussolo,Maurizio & Kotia,Ananya & Sharma,Siddharth, 2021. "Workers at Risk : Panel Data Evidence on the COVID-19 Labor Market Crisis in India," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9584, The World Bank.
    3. Maria Garcia-Vega & Apoorva Gupta & Richard Kneller, 2023. "Is acquisition-FDI during an economic crisis detrimental for domestic innovation?," Discussion Papers 2023-03, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    4. Vincent FROMENTIN & Joris MICHEL & Sylvain WEBER, 2021. "L’effet des fluctuations financières sur le nombre de travailleurs frontaliers : une analyse comparative du Luxembourg et de la Suisse," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 53, pages 51-68.
    5. Jesus Ferreiro & Carmen Gomez, 2020. "Employment protection and labor market results in Europe," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 401-449, April.
    6. Apoorva Gupta, 2019. "R&D and firm resilience during bad times," Discussion Papers 2019-12, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    7. Jesus Ferreiro & Carmen Gómez, 2018. "Employment protection and labour market performance in European Union countries during the Great Recession," FMM Working Paper 31-2018, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    8. Arestis, Philip & Ferreiro, Jesus & Gómez, Carmen, 2020. "Quality of employment and employment protection. Effects of employment protection on temporary and permanent employment," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 180-188.
    9. Gupta, Apoorva, 2020. "R&D and firm resilience during bad times," DICE Discussion Papers 352, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    10. Arestis, Philip & Ferreiro, Jesus & Gomez, Carmen, 2023. "Does employment protection legislation affect employment and unemployment?11We acknowledge the comments of an editor and an associate editor of the journal and three reviewers. Their suggestions and r," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).

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