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Wage differentials in Mexico's urban labor market

Author

Listed:
  • Carlo Alcaraz

    (Banco de México)

  • Daniel Chiquiar

    (Banco de México)

  • Manuel Ramos-Francia

    (Banco de México)

Abstract

We estimate wage differentials across different segments of the Mexican urban labor market. We use a panel sample of individuals which allows us to control for workers' observable and non-observable characteristics, by focusing on wage changes reported by individuals who move from one sector to another. The results suggest that the wage differential between the formal and informal sectors is positive and significant, and larger than the differential between industry and services. While we cannot distinguish formally between different hypotheses that could explain the existence of these differentials, our results seem to suggest that the main distortions in the Mexican labor market appear to be related more to labor regulations that affect the allocation of labor between the formal and informal sectors, than to differences in intrinsic characteristics of the production processes in industry and services.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlo Alcaraz & Daniel Chiquiar & Manuel Ramos-Francia, 2011. "Wage differentials in Mexico's urban labor market," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(3), pages 2500-2508.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-11-00035
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gong, Xiaodong & Van Soest, Arthur & Villagomez, Elizabeth, 2004. "Mobility in the Urban Labor Market: A Panel Data Analysis for Mexico," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(1), pages 1-36, October.
    2. Guillermo E. Perry & William F. Maloney & Omar S. Arias & Pablo Fajnzylber & Andrew D. Mason & Jaime Saavedra-Chanduvi, 2007. "Informality : Exit and Exclusion," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6730.
    3. Maloney, William F, 1999. "Does Informality Imply Segmentation in Urban Labor Markets? Evidence from Sectoral Transitions in Mexico," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 13(2), pages 275-302, May.
    4. Gong, Xiaodong & van Soest, Arthur, 2002. "Wage differentials and mobility in the urban labour market: a panel data analysis for Mexico," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 513-529, September.
    5. Gasparini Leonardo & Leonardo Tornaroli, 2009. "Labor Informality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Patterns and Trends from Household Survey Microdata," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, September.
    6. Maloney, William F., 2004. "Informality Revisited," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1159-1178, July.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Leyva, Gustavo & Urrutia, Carlos, 2020. "Informality, labor regulation, and the business cycle," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    2. Alberola, Enrique & Urrutia, Carlos, 2020. "Does informality facilitate inflation stability?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    3. Gustavo Leyva & Carlos Urrutia, 2023. "Informal Labor Markets in Times of Pandemic," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 47, pages 158-185, January.
    4. Cano-Urbina, Javier, 2015. "The role of the informal sector in the early careers of less-educated workers," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 33-55.
    5. Leyva Gustavo & Urrutia Carlos, 2021. "Informal Labor Markets in Times of Pandemic: Evidence for Latin America and Policy Options," Working Papers 2021-21, Banco de México.
    6. Bazdresch Santiago, 2018. "Finance and Employment Formalization: Evidence from Mexico's ENIGH, 2000-2016," Working Papers 2018-14, Banco de México.
    7. Cuellar, Cecilia Y. & Moreno, Jorge O., 2022. "Employment, wages, and the gender gap in Mexico: Evidence of three decades of the urban labor market," Latin American Journal of Central Banking (previously Monetaria), Elsevier, vol. 3(2).
    8. Ruy Lama & Gustavo Leyva & Carlos Urrutia, 2022. "Labor Market Policies and Business Cycles in Emerging Economies," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 70(2), pages 300-337, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Informal Sector; Labor Market Distortions;

    JEL classification:

    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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