Understanding sectoral differences in downward real wage rigidity: workforce composition, institutions, technology and competition

Philip Du Caju, Catherine Fuss and Ladislav Wintr

No 1006, Working Paper Series from European Central Bank

Abstract: This paper examines whether differences in wage rigidity across sectors can be explained by differences in workforce composition, competition, technology and wage-bargaining institutions. We adopt the measure of downward real wage rigidity (DRWR) developed by Dickens and Goette (2006) and rely on a large administrative matched employer-employee dataset for Belgium over the period 1990-2002. Firstly, our results indicate that DRWR is significantly higher for white-collar workers and lower for older workers and for workers with higher earnings and bonuses. Secondly, beyond labour force composition effects, sectoral differences in DRWR are related to competition, firm size, technology and wage bargaining institutions. We find that wages are more rigid in more competitive sectors, in labour-intensive sectors, and in sectors with predominant centralised wage setting at the sector level as opposed to firm-level wage agreements. JEL Classification: J31

Keywords: matched employer-employee data; wage-bargaining institutions; wage rigidity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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Working Paper: Understanding sectoral differences in downward real wage rigidity: workforce composition, institutions, technology and competition (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20091006

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