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Labour Surplus, Worker Rights and Productivity Growth: A Comparative Analysis of Asia and Latin America

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  • Gregory DeFreitas
  • Adriana Marshall

Abstract

How do labour market conditions, trade union rights and job security regulations affect labour productivity? This paper is the first attempt at an empirical analysis of this important question for a large sample of Asian and Latin American countries. We provide new estimates of the rates of surplus labour in 20 countries, as well as detailed tables summarizing their key regulations governing certain aspects of union activity and layoffs. Then we exploit these and other data in an econometric analysis of intercountry differentials in the growth rate of labour productivity in manufacturing during the 1980s. Among the principal results, we find that, while all else remains the same, productivity growth rates are significantly higher in countries with relatively larger labour surpluses, the effects of excess of labour on productivity growth are affected by the strength or weakness of union rights. We also find that the impacts of union rights and job security protections on productivity trends may be either positive or negative, depending on the labour market situation.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory DeFreitas & Adriana Marshall, 1998. "Labour Surplus, Worker Rights and Productivity Growth: A Comparative Analysis of Asia and Latin America," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 12(3), pages 515-539, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:12:y:1998:i:3:p:515-539
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-9914.00078
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    Cited by:

    1. Emiliano Brancaccio & Fabiana De Cristofaro & Raffaele Giammetti, 2020. "No Consensus In The Imf-Oecd 'Consensus': A Meta-Analysis On The Employment Impact Of Labour Deregulations," Working Papers 445, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    2. Minford, Lucy, 2015. "Tax, Regulation and Economic Growth: A Case Study of the UK," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2015/16, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section, revised Jun 2016.
    3. Lisi, Domenico, 2009. "The Impact of Temporary Employment on Labour Productivity: Evidence from an Industry-Level Panel of EU Countries," MPRA Paper 26076, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Andrea Bassanini & Danielle Venn, 2008. "The Impact of Labour Market Policies on Productivity in OECD Countries," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 17, pages 3-15, Fall.
    5. Domenico Lisi, 2013. "The impact of temporary employment and employment protection on labour productivity: evidence from an industry-level panel of EU countries [Einfluss von befristeter Beschäftigung und Kündigungsschu," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 46(2), pages 119-144, August.
    6. Per Skedinger, 2010. "Employment Protection Legislation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13686.
    7. Krawczyk, Jacek B. & Shimomura, Koji, 2003. "Why countries with the same technology and preferences can have different growth rates," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 27(10), pages 1899-1916, August.
    8. Lisi, Domenico, 2013. "The impact of temporary employment and employment protection on labour productivity : evidence from an industry-level panel of EU countries," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 46(2), pages 119-144.
    9. Bjuggren, Carl Magnus, 2018. "Employment protection and labor productivity," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 138-157.
    10. Bjuggren, Carl Magnus, 2013. "The Effect of Employment Protection Rules on Firm Productivity - A Natural Experiment," HUI Working Papers 82, HUI Research, revised 30 Oct 2013.

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