The margins of labour cost adjustment: Survey evidence from European firms

Jan Babecký, Philip Du Caju, Theodora Kosma, Martina Lawless, Julian Messina and Tairi Room

No 183, Working Paper Research from National Bank of Belgium

Abstract: Firms have multiple options at the time of adjusting their wage bills. However, previous literature has mainly focused on base wages. We broaden the analysis beyond downward rigidity in base wages by investigating the use of other margins of labour cost adjustment at the firm level. Using data from a unique survey, we find that firms make frequent use of other, more flexible, components of compensation to adjust the cost of labour. Changes in bonuses and non-pay benefits are some of the potential margins firms use to reduce costs. We also show how the margins of adjustment chosen are affected by firm and worker characteristics

Keywords: labour costs; wage rigidity; firm survey; European Union (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C81 J30 P5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2009-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Margins of Labour Cost Adjustment: Survey Evidence from European Firms (2010)
Working Paper: The margins of labour cost adjustment: survey evidence from european firms (2009)
Working Paper: The Margins of Labour Cost Adjustment: Survey Evidence from European Firms (2009)
Working Paper: The margins of labour cost adjustment: survey evidence from European firms (2009)
Working Paper: The margins of labor cost adjustment: survey evidence from European firms (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nbb:reswpp:200911-24

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