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Employment Protection, Product Market Competition and Growth

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  • Koeniger, Winfried

    (University of St. Gallen)

Abstract

It is commonly argued that labor market institutions such as employment protection worsen an economy’s performance and particularly so, if product markets become more competitive. Empirical evidence, however, has difficulties to detect a robust negative correlation between employment protection and growth. We show in a model with step-by-step innovations that whether employment protection decreases incentives to innovate and thus productivity growth depends on the degree of product market competition. For reasonable parameter values product market deregulation fosters growth substantially more in the flexible than in the constrained economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Koeniger, Winfried, 2002. "Employment Protection, Product Market Competition and Growth," IZA Discussion Papers 554, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp554
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    Cited by:

    1. Raquel Fonseca & Natalia Utrero, 2005. "Financial Development, Labor and Market Regulations and Growth," Documents de recherche 05-05, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    2. Sebastian G. Kessing, 2006. "Employment Protection and Product Market Competition," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 108(2), pages 339-352, July.
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    4. Philippe Aghion & Philippe Askenazy & Renaud Bourlès & Gilbert Cette & Nicolas Dromel, 2008. "Distance à la frontière technologique, rigidités de marché, éducation et croissance," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 419(1), pages 11-30.
    5. Riccardo Tilli, 2015. "High speed and low speed structural reforms in the italian goods and labor market," QUADERNI DI ECONOMIA DEL LAVORO, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(103), pages 67-82.
    6. Norbert Berthold & Rainer Fehn, 2003. "Unemployment in Germany: Reasons and Remedies," CESifo Working Paper Series 871, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    firing cost; step-by-step innovations; Schumpeterian growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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