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Wage Adjustment Practices and the Link between Price and Wages: Survey Evidence from Colombian Firms

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  • Ana María Iregui B.
  • Ligia Alba Melo B.
  • María Teresa Ramírez G.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore firms’ wage adjustment practices in the Colombian formal labor market; specifically, the timing and frequency of wage increases, as well as the link between wage and price changes. To this end, we use an ad hoc survey of 1,305 small, medium and large firms belonging to all economic sectors, except the public sector. The results show most of the firms adjust base wages annually, mainly during the first quarter, which suggests wage changes in Colombia are time-dependent. Also, wage increases were concentrated around observed inflation and none of the firms cut wages. Moreover, factors associated with the performance of firms and workers alike are the main determinants of wage adjustments. Regarding the link between wages and price changes, econometric results indicate this relationship is stronger in sectors where labor costs represent a higher share of total costs and in firms operating in sectors with higher labor productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana María Iregui B. & Ligia Alba Melo B. & María Teresa Ramírez G., 2011. "Wage Adjustment Practices and the Link between Price and Wages: Survey Evidence from Colombian Firms," Borradores de Economia 660, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdr:borrec:660
    DOI: 10.32468/be.660
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Agudelo, Sonia A. & Sala, Hector, 2017. "Wage Rigidities in Colombia: Measurement, Causes, and Policy Implications," IZA Discussion Papers 10669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Sonia A. Agudelo & Hector Sala, 2016. "Wage setting in the Colombian manufacturing industry," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 24(1), pages 99-134, January.
    3. Fernando Borraz & Gerardo Licandro & Daniela Sola, 2020. "Wage and price setting: new evidence from Uruguayan firms," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 560-582, January.
    4. José Pulido & Hernando Vargas-Herrera & Juan J. Ospina-Tejeiro, 2023. "The labor market in Colombia: Structural features and the role of wages in the post-pandemic inflationary surge," Borradores de Economia 1232, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    5. Central Bank of Colombia, 2023. "The labour market in Colombia: trends, cyclical patterns and the role of wages in the recent inflationary surge," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Inflation and labour markets, volume 127, pages 103-134, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Gomez Ospina, Monica A., 2023. "Optimal monetary policy in developing countries: The role of informality," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage increases; labor market; survey evidence; logit models; Colombia.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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