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Stimulating Employment Growth with Higher Wages? A New Approach to Addressing an Old Controversy

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  • Jens Suedekum
  • Uwe Blien

Abstract

We analyse the impact of wages on employment growth in West German local industries (1993–2002), addressing the tension between cost and potentially offsetting demand side effects. We construct a neutralised regional wage level that is detached from various productivity influences. A positive value implies ‘overly high’ labour costs, but also high local purchasing power. A subsequent employment growth regression yields significantly negative effects associated with this indicator. Cost push effects dominate, but our estimates suggest that demand side repercussions have a mitigating effect. There is considerable variation across industries, but in no case we find a positive employment reaction.

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  • Jens Suedekum & Uwe Blien, 2007. "Stimulating Employment Growth with Higher Wages? A New Approach to Addressing an Old Controversy," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 441-464, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:kyklos:v:60:y:2007:i:3:p:441-464
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6435.2007.00379.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan B. Krueger & Jorn-Steffen Pischke, 1997. "Observations and Conjectures on the U.S. Employment Miracle," NBER Working Papers 6146, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Alan Krueger & Jorn-Steffen Pischke, 1997. "Observations and Conjectures on the U.S. Employment Miracle," Working Papers 769, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
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    Cited by:

    1. Camille Logeay & Sabine Stephan & Rudolf Zwiener, 2011. "Driving forces behind the sectoral wage costs differentials in Europe," IMK Working Paper 10-2011, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    2. Lu, Lan & Yin, Shuiying & Wen, Fuying & Xu, Qingqing, 2023. "The spatial structure of labour force employment in China’s industries: Measurement and extraction," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 472-486.
    3. Khaled Thabet, 2015. "Industrial structure and total factor productivity: the Tunisian manufacturing sector between 1998 and 2004," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(2), pages 639-662, March.
    4. Ulrich Zierahn, 2012. "The importance of spatial autocorrelation for regional employment growth in Germany," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 32(1), pages 19-43, March.
    5. Uwe Blien & Lutz Eigenhueller & Markus Promberger & Norbert Schanne, 2013. "The Shift-Share Regression: An Application to Regional Employ-ment Development," ERSA conference papers ersa13p614, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Raimund Krumm & Harald Strotmann, 2013. "The impact of regional location factors on job creation, job destruction and employment growth in manufacturing," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 33(1), pages 23-48, February.
    7. Jacopo Canello, 2017. "Outward foreign direct investment, offshore outsourcing and local network resilience in industrial districts," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 181-201, February.
    8. Raimund Krumm & Harald Strotmann, 2010. "The Impact of Regional Supply and Demand Conditions on Job Creation and Destruction," IAW Discussion Papers 61, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).

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