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Wage Rigidity and Monetary Union

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  • Harris Dellas
  • George Tavlas

Abstract

We compare monetary union to flexible exchange rates in an asymmetric, three- country model with active monetary policy. Unlike the traditional OCA literature, we find that countries with high nominal wage rigidities benefit from monetary union, specially when they join other, similarly rigid countries. Countries with relatively more flexible wages lose when they form a union with more rigid wage countries. We study the France, Germany and the UK and find that wage asymmetries across these three countries dominate other types of asymmetries (in shocks, monetary policy etc.) in welfare comparisons. And that, if the UK had a substantially higher degree of wage flexibility than France and Germany, then her participation in EMU would be costly.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris Dellas & George Tavlas, 2002. "Wage Rigidity and Monetary Union," Diskussionsschriften dp0219, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    • Handle: RePEc:ube:dpvwib:dp0219
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    monetary union; wage rigidity; asymmetry; multi-country model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E4 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance

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