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Product Market Regulation and the Benefits of Wage Moderation

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  • Mr. Marcello M. Estevão

Abstract

Euro-area real wages have decelerated sharply in the last 20 years, but this has not yet translated into visibly lower unemployment or faster growth. Weak output growth after such a cost shock is somewhat puzzling and has led some to question the benefits of wage moderation. By isolating structural from cyclical factors in a panel of industrial countries, I show that structurally slower real wage growth, that is, "wage moderation," does raise output growth and lower unemployment rates. However, I show that the impact on both variables depends crucially on product market regulation: weaker competition and barriers to entry mute the growth effects of structural real wage changes by allowing incumbent firms to appropriate larger rents. In this context, overly regulated product markets in the euro area are undermining the effects of labor market reforms on output and employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Marcello M. Estevão, 2005. "Product Market Regulation and the Benefits of Wage Moderation," IMF Working Papers 2005/191, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2005/191
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    Cited by:

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    2. Christian Dreger & Manuel Artís & Rosina Moreno & Raúl Ramos & Jordi Suriñach, 2007. "Study on the feasibility of a tool to measure the macroeconomic impact of structural reforms," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 272, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    3. Jo Seldeslachts, 2008. "Synchronising Deregulation In Product And Labour Markets," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 55(5), pages 591-617, November.
    4. Olivier Allain, 2006. "La modération salariale : le point de vue des (néo-)kaleckiens," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00196500, HAL.
    5. Ales Bulir & Jaromir Hurnik, 2006. "The Maastricht Inflation Criterion: "Saints" and "Sinners"," Working Papers 2006/8, Czech National Bank.
    6. Arjan Lejour & Hugo Rojas-Romagosa, 2008. "International spillovers of domestic reforms: the joint application of the Lisbon Strategy in the EU," CPB Discussion Paper 105, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    7. Annabelle Mourougane & Lukas Vogel, 2009. "Speed of Adjustment to Selected Labour Market and Tax Reforms," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 51(4), pages 500-519, December.
    8. Silvia Fedeli & Vitantonio Mariella & Marco Onofri, 2018. "Determinants of Joblessness During the Economic Crisis: Impact of Criminality in the Italian Labour Market," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 559-588, September.
    9. Helge Berger & Stephan Danninger, 2007. "The Employment Effects of Labor and Product Market Deregulation and Their Implications for Structural Reform," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 54(3), pages 591-619, July.
    10. Marcello M. Esteváo, 2007. "Structural changes and labor productivity slowdown in the Euro Area," Revista ESPE - Ensayos Sobre Política Económica, Banco de la República, vol. 25(53), pages 336-367, January.
    11. Mr. Helge Berger & Mr. Stephan Danninger, 2005. "Labor and Product Market Deregulation: Partial, Sequential, or Simultaneous Reform?," IMF Working Papers 2005/227, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Hans Pitlik & Margit Schratzenstaller-Altzinger, 2011. "Growth Implications of Structure and Size of Public Sectors," WIFO Working Papers 404, WIFO.
    13. Campos, Nauro F. & De Grauwe, Paul & Ji, Yuemei, 2023. "Structural reforms and economic performance: the experience of advanced economies," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120870, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Alfonso Arpaia & Gilles Mourre, 2012. "Institutions And Performance In European Labour Markets: Taking A Fresh Look At Evidence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-41, February.
    15. Arjan Lejour & Hugo Rojas-Romagosa, 2008. "International spillovers of domestic reforms: the joint application of the Lisbon Strategy in the EU," CPB Discussion Paper 105.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    16. Sebastian Weber, 2006. "Labor Market Structures, Trade and their Effect on Unemployment: A Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Investigation," IHEID Working Papers 22-2006, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    17. International Monetary Fund, 2008. "Republic of Poland: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2008/131, International Monetary Fund.
    18. International Monetary Fund, 2006. "Belgium: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2006/076, International Monetary Fund.
    19. Luciano Marcello Milone, 2015. "Structural Reforms in the European Union after the Global Crisis: Problems and Prospects," Working Papers in Public Economics 171, Department of Economics and Law, Sapienza University of Roma.
    20. Olivier Allain, 2006. "La modération salariale : le point de vue des (néo-)kaleckiens," Post-Print halshs-00196500, HAL.

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