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Is there a signalling role for public wages? Evidence for the euro area based on macro data

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  • Pérez, Javier J.
  • Sánchez, Jesús

Abstract

Do public sector wages exert pressures on private sector wages, or has the private sector a leadership role in wage setting? This paper tries to isolate the pure signalling effect that one sector might exert on the other by controlling for other determinants of wages (prices, productivity, institutions) for the main euro area economies (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) and the periods 1980-2007 and 1991-2007. It exploits available quarterly information not yet used in the literature, and combines different data sources in the framework of mixed-frequencies time series models. The quarterly frequency of our data allows us to check the existence of purely intra-annual links between public and private sector wages (signalling effect). There is strong evidence of public wages’ leadership, either in conjunction with bi-directional links from the private sector (Germany and Spain) or pure public wage leadership (France in the sample 1991-2007, Italy for within-the-year linkages). JEL Classification: C32, C53, J30, J51, J52, E62, E63, H50, H6

Suggested Citation

  • Pérez, Javier J. & Sánchez, Jesús, 2010. "Is there a signalling role for public wages? Evidence for the euro area based on macro data," Working Paper Series 1148, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20101148
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Camarero, Mariam & D'Adamo, Gaetano & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2014. "Wage leadership models: A country-by-country analysis of the EMU," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 44(S1), pages 2-11.
    2. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09iak4591pm is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Sandrine Levasseur, 2011. "Labour market adjustments in Estonia during the global crisis," Working Papers hal-01069525, HAL.
    4. Gaetano D’Adamo, 2014. "Wage spillovers across sectors in Eastern Europe," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 523-552, September.
    5. Ms. Florence Jaumotte & Piyaporn Sodsriwiboon, 2010. "Current Account Imbalances in the Southern Euro Area," IMF Working Papers 2010/139, International Monetary Fund.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09iak4591pm is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09iak4591pm is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Javier J. Perez & Ana Lamo & Enrique Moral-Benito, 2015. "Does Slack Influence Public and Private Labor Market," EcoMod2015 8792, EcoMod.
    9. Yuval Mazar, 2014. "The development of wages in the public sector and their connection with wages in the private sector," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2014.03, Bank of Israel.
    10. Gaetano D'Adamo & Nora Hesse & Julien Hartley & Nicolae Bîea, 2019. "Wage Dynamics in Romania," European Economy - Economic Briefs 044, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    11. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09iak4591pm is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Lorenzo Forni & Natalija Novta, 2016. "Public employment and compensation reform: the role of social dialogue and structural measures," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 23(5), pages 960-979, October.
    13. Marzinotto, Benedicta & Turrini, Alessandro, 2016. "Co-movements between Public and Private Wages in the EU: Which Factors Play a Role?," IZA Discussion Papers 9964, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Francesca Pancotto & Filippo Pericoli, 2014. "Till labor cost do us part," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 371-395, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    causal graph; causality; government wages; mixed frequency data; private sector wages; signalling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General
    • H6 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt

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