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The effects of wage flexibility on activity and employment in Spain

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  • Doménech, Rafael
  • García, Juan Ramón
  • Ulloa, Camilo

Abstract

In this paper we estimate the macroeconomic effects of the greater wage and firms’ internal flexibility promoted by the economic policies implemented since 2012, which changed markedly Spanish labour regulations. To do so, we propose a structural VAR that allows us to break down changes in main macroeconomic variables into different structural shocks. From a policy perspective, the estimation of the structural shocks allows us to simulate a counterfactual scenario, whereby we conclude that the effects of less rigid labour market are positive and significant. Our results suggest that, if these policies were implemented at the beginning of the crisis, they could have avoided a significant part of the falls in GDP and employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Doménech, Rafael & García, Juan Ramón & Ulloa, Camilo, 2018. "The effects of wage flexibility on activity and employment in Spain," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1200-1220.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:40:y:2018:i:6:p:1200-1220
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2018.08.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Cristina Lafuente & Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis & Ludo Visschers, 2022. "Temping fates in Spain: hours and employment in a dual labor market during the Great Recession and COVID-19," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 101-145, May.
    3. Fei Peng & Sajid Anwar & Lili Kang, 2020. "Job Movement and Real Wage Flexibility in Eastern and Western Parts of Germany," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 44(4), pages 764-789, October.
    4. Ara Stepanyan & Jorge Salas, 2020. "Distributional Implications of Labor Market Reforms: Learning from Spain's Experience," IMF Working Papers 2020/029, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Ramos, Raul & Sanromá, Esteban & Simón, Hipólito, 2022. "Collective bargaining levels, employment and wage inequality in Spain," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 375-395.
    6. Ramon Xifré, 2020. "The Political Value of Internal Devaluation in the Euro Area Crisis," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 11(4), pages 466-477, September.
    7. Konopczak, Karolina, 2021. "Modelling labour adjustments over the business cycle using asymmetric cointegration," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    8. Benito Arruñada, 2021. "La seguridad jurídica en España. Documento de discusión (versión revisada y comentada)," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2021-18, FEDEA.
    9. Benito Arruñada, 2020. "La seguridad jurídica en España," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2020-26, FEDEA.
    10. Daniel HERRERO & Luis CÁRDENAS & Julián LÓPEZ GALLEGO, 2020. "Does deregulation decrease unemployment? An empirical analysis of the Spanish labour market," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 159(3), pages 367-396, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour market; Reforms; Wage flexibility; Structural VAR;
    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
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies

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