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The role of the wage-productivity gap in economic activity

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  • Marika Karanassou
  • Hector Sala

Abstract

This paper argues that wages lagging behind productivity is a long-run structural phenomenon due to the interplay of wage dynamics and productivity growth. We call this interplay frictional growth, a term that can only be nullified in the utopian case of zero growth and/or no dynamics. In that vein, we challenge the prevailing view of the neutrality of the labour income share and investigate its impact on the evolution of employment. We thus estimate wage setting and labour demand equation systems - for France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US over the 1960-2008 period - and find that the labour share is negatively associated with employment even when the conventional assumption of a unitary long-run elasticity of wages with respect to productivity holds. Acknowledging the presence of the wage-productivity gap in both the short and long run, this work stands as the building block for assessing the effect of the falling labour share on economic activity. As recent work has shown that the widening wage gap is also an important factor prompting inequality, it can be argued that by supporting employment the falling labour share 'sweetens' the impact of rising income inequality, and, as such, deserves the attention of policy makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala, 2014. "The role of the wage-productivity gap in economic activity," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 436-459, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:irapec:v:28:y:2014:i:4:p:436-459
    DOI: 10.1080/02692171.2014.884547
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Layard, Richard & Nickell, Stephen & Jackman, Richard, 2005. "Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199279173.
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberto Bande & Marika Karanassou & Héctor Sala, 2019. "Employment in Spanish regions: cost-control or growth-enhancing policies?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 62(3), pages 601-635, June.
    2. 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).
    3. Cárdenas, Luis & Fernández, Rafael, 2020. "Revisiting francoist developmentalism: The influence of wages in the Spanish growth model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 260-268.
    4. Luis A. Gil-Alana & Marinko Skare, 2018. "Testing the great decoupling: a long memory approach," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 45(4), pages 801-820, November.

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