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Wage leadership models: a country-by-country analysis of the EMU

Author

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  • Gaetano D’Adamo

    (Department of Applied Economics II, University of Valencia)

  • Mariam Camarero

    (Department of Economics, Universidad Jaume I)

  • Cecilio Tamarit

    (Department of Applied Economics II, University of Valencia)

Abstract

According to the theory of wage leadership, if there is free inter-sectorial labor mobility, changes in the level of the wage in the leading sector cause changes in the same direction in other sectors’ wage. Moreover, since the traded sector (i.e. Industry) is affected by international competitive pressure, it should act as the leader, because this would be conducive to wage restraint. We apply a Vector Error Correction Model on four macro sectors (Industry, Services, Construction and the Public Sector) in ten EMU countries to test for wage leadership and wage adaptability. Our results show significant cross-country differences, with the Public Sector acting as the leader in Germany, Belgium and Greece. Countries that recently experienced a construction bubble such as Spain and Ireland show wage leadership of the construction sector. Moreover, in half of the countries, wages in different sectors are, to some extent, set autonomously, which suggests low intersectorial labor mobility. Finally, adjustment after a positive vs. negative shock to the leading sector’s wage, in Mediterranean countries, Ireland and the Netherlands is asymmetric.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaetano D’Adamo & Mariam Camarero & Cecilio Tamarit, 2013. "Wage leadership models: a country-by-country analysis of the EMU," Working Papers 1317, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    • Handle: RePEc:eec:wpaper:1317
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rebekka Christopoulou & Vassilis Monastiriotis, 2018. "Did the crisis make the Greek economy less inefficient? Evidence from the structure and dynamics of sectoral premia," GreeSE – Hellenic Observatory Papers on Greece and Southeast Europe 125, Hellenic Observatory, LSE.
    3. Peter Dolton & Arno Hantzsche, 2024. "Follow the leader? The long‐run interaction between public and private sector wage growth in the UK," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(363), pages 837-879, July.
    4. 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.
    5. Konopczak, Karolina & Welfe, Aleksander, 2017. "Convergence-driven inflation and the channels of its absorption," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 1019-1034.
    6. Camarero, Mariam & D’Adamo, Gaetano & Tamarit, Cecilio, 2021. "Differences in wage determination in the Eurozone: A challenge to the resilience of the common currency," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 183-199.
    7. M. Ivanova., 2015. "The Interaction between Public and Private Sector Wages," VOPROSY ECONOMIKI, N.P. Redaktsiya zhurnala "Voprosy Economiki", vol. 7.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage Leadership; Cointegrated VAR; Labor Market;
    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
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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