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The productivity-wage relationship in South Africa: an empirical investigation

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  • Jeremy Wakeford

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between labour productivity, average real wages and the unemployment rate in South Africa at the macroeconomic level, using time-series econometric techniques. There is strong evidence of a structural break in 1990, after which time all three variables rose rapidly. The break appears to have negatively affected the level of employment in the first instance, and subsequently fed through into per worker wages and productivity. A long-term equilibrium (cointegrating) relationship was found between real wages and productivity, but unemployment was apparently unconnected to the system, which lends support to the insider-outsider theory. A long-term wage-productivity elasticity of 0,58 indicates that productivity has grown more rapidly than wages, which is consistent with the finding that labour's share of gross output has been shrinking over the past decade. These trends may be explained plausibly by the adoption of job-shedding technology and capital intensification.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeremy Wakeford, 2004. "The productivity-wage relationship in South Africa: an empirical investigation," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 109-132.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:21:y:2004:i:1:p:109-132
    DOI: 10.1080/0376835042000181444
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    Cited by:

    1. José Abraham López Machuca & Jorge Eduardo Mendoza Cota, 2017. "Salarios, desempleo y productividad laboral en la industria manufacturera mexicana. (Wage, Unemployment and Labor Productivity in the Mexican Manufacturing Industry)," Ensayos Revista de Economia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Economia, vol. 0(2), pages 185-228, October.
    2. Dieter von Fintel, 2017. "Institutional wage-setting, labour demand and labour supply: Causal estimates from a South African pseudo-panel," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Chor Foon Tang, 2012. "The non‐monotonic effect of real wages on labour productivity," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(6), pages 391-399, May.
    4. Melike Bildirici & Elçin Aykaç Alp, 2012. "Minimum wage is efficient wage in Turkish labor market: TAR–cointegration analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1261-1270, June.
    5. Hansa Jain, 2019. "Wage–Productivity Relationship in Indian Manufacturing Industries: Evidences from State-level Panel Data," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 13(3), pages 277-305, August.
    6. Saten Kumar & Don J. Webber & Geoff Perry, 2012. "Real wages, inflation and labour productivity in Australia," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(23), pages 2945-2954, August.
    7. Cruz, Manuel David, 2023. "Labor Productivity, Real Wages, and Employment in OECD Economies," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 367-382.
    8. Vincent Dadam & Nicola Viegi, 2021. "Estimating a New Keynesian Wage Phillips Curve," Working Papers 202107, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    9. Nurliyana Mohd Basri & Zulkefly Abdul Karim & Noorasiah Sulaiman, 2020. "The Effects of Factors of Production Shocks on Labor Productivity: New Evidence Using Panel VAR Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-23, October.
    10. Chor Foon Tang, 2014. "The effect of real wages and inflation on labour productivity in Malaysia," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 311-322, May.
    11. Nicola Viegi & Vincent Dadam, 2020. "Estimating a New Keynesian Wage Phillips Curve," Working Papers 11000, South African Reserve Bank.
    12. Tang, Chor Foon, 2010. "A note on the nonlinear wages-productivity nexus for Malaysia," MPRA Paper 24355, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Gurvich, Evsey & Vakulenko, Elena, 2017. "Macroeconomic and structural properties of the Russian labor market: A cross-country comparison," Russian Journal of Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 411-424.
    14. Nir Klein, 2012. "Real Wage, Labor Productivity, and Employment Trends in South Africa: A Closer Look," IMF Working Papers 2012/092, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Saini, Shweta & Gulati, Ashok & von Braun, Joachim & Kornher, Lukas, 2020. "Indian Farm Wages: Trends, growth drivers and linkages with food prices," Discussion Papers 307268, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    16. Freddy, Liew, 2011. "Productivity-wage-growth nexus: an empirical study of Singapore," MPRA Paper 34459, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Getahun, Tigabu D. & Fetene, Gebeyehu M. & Baumüller, Heike & Kubik, Zaneta, 2024. "Exploring the relationship between job quality and firm productivity in the manufacturing sector: Panel data evidence from Ethiopia," Discussion Papers 344125, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    18. Jeremy Wakeford, 2004. "Productivity, Wages and Employment in South Africa’s Manufacturing Sector, 1970-2002," Working Papers 04085, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    19. Manuel David Cruz, 2022. "Labor productivity, real wages, and employment: evidence from a panel of OECD economies over 1960-2019," Working Papers PKWP2203, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    20. Sparrow, G.N. & Ortmann, Gerald F. & Lyne, Michael C. & Darroch, Mark A.G., 2008. "Determinants of the demand for regular farm labour in South Africa, 1960-2002," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 47(1), pages 1-24, March.
    21. Chaido Dritsaki, 2016. "Real wages, inflation, and labor productivity: Evidences from Bulgaria and Romania," Journal of Economic and Financial Studies (JEFS), LAR Center Press, vol. 4(5), pages 24-36, October.

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