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Effective Labor Regulation and Microeconomic Flexibility

Author

Listed:
  • Ricardo J Caballero
  • Kevin N Cowan
  • Eduardo M.R.A. Engel
  • Alejandro Micco
Abstract
Microeconomic flexibility, by facilitating the process of creative-destruction, is at the core of economic growth in modern market economies. The main reason for why this process is not infinitely fast is the presence of adjustment costs, some of them technological, others institutional. Chief among the latter is labor market regulation. While few economists would object to such a view, its empirical support is rather weak. In this paper we revisit this hypothesis and find strong evidence for it. We use a new sectoral panel for 60 countries and a methodology suitable for such a panel. We find that job security regulation clearly hampers the creative-destruction process, especially in countries where regulations are likely to be enforced. Moving from the 20th to the 80th percentile in job security, in countries with strong rule of law, cuts the annual speed of adjustment to shocks by a third while shaving off about one percent from annual productivity growth. The same movement has negligible effects in countries with weak rule of law.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Ricardo J Caballero & Kevin N Cowan & Eduardo M.R.A. Engel & Alejandro Micco, 2007. "Effective Labor Regulation and Microeconomic Flexibility," Levine's Bibliography 321307000000000990, UCLA Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cla:levrem:321307000000000990
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • K00 - Law and Economics - - General - - - General (including Data Sources and Description)

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