Formal Labor Market Dynamics and Development

Anne Brockmeyer, Francois Gerard, Gabriel Ulyssea, Linda Wu, Marcelo Bergolo, Rodrigo Ceni Gonzalez, Benard Kirui, Andrea Lopez-Luzuriaga, Leonardo Fabio Morales, Andrea Otero-Cortes, Nadine Riedel, Matıas Tapia, Tanisa Tawichsri and Verena Wiedemann

No 260, PIER Discussion Papers from Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research

Abstract: This paper studies formal employment dynamics using linked employer–employee data from eight countries spanning a wide income range from Kenya to Chile. First, we show that formality rates increase with development, both between and within countries, because more workers enter the formal sector, not because they spend more time in formal jobs. Second, formal labor market fluidity increases with development, as workers hold more formal jobs, spend less time in each job, and less time between jobs. Third, greater fluidity is associated with higher life-cycle wage growth, which is largely accounted for by within- rather than between-firm wage gains.

Keywords: Formal employment; Labor market fluidity; Economic development; Developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J63 O15 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2026-07
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