[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/ipewps/2112023.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Labour market stability in a zero-growth economy

Author

Listed:
  • Jimenez, Valeria
Abstract
Although traditionally post-Keynesians tackle unemployment issues through the stimulation of aggregate demand, boosting demand indefinitely is no longer possible if we consider environmental constraints. In fact, according to several ecological economists, meeting the environmental targets of the Paris Agreement will involve a halt in economic growth or even degrowth. Within this context, important interventions in the labour market will be necessary to avoid rising unemployment. In this paper, we make use of a Kaleckian autonomous demand-led growth model to analyse the dynamic stability of the labour market in a zero-growth economy (ZGE) with productivity growth. In the model, net investment responds to deviations of capacity utilization from target utilization in the short run while in the long run it adjusts to firms' sales growth expectations determined by the growth rate in autonomous government expenditures. Hence, in the long run, the growth rate of the system is determined by the autonomous growth rate of government expenditures - set equal to zero - and the rate of capacity utilization converges towards the normal rate of capacity utilization. We examine the conditions under which the long-run convergence leads to a stable employment rate. In the basic model, we consider the feedback effects between productivity, distribution, and employment. However, the long-run conditions necessary for a stable employment rate are not met, suggesting, as already pointed out by ecological economists and several post-Keynesians, that policy interventions might be necessary for the stability of the labour market in a ZGE. Therefore, we consider whether the government can stabilize the labour market through a policy of working time reduction (WTR). Our findings suggest that a stable employment rate is possible in our model as long as the negative effect that labour productivity growth has on the employment rate is compensated for by the reduction in working hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Jimenez, Valeria, 2023. "Labour market stability in a zero-growth economy," IPE Working Papers 211/2023, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:2112023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/271070/1/1843717107.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giorgos Kallis & Michael Kalush & Hugh O.'Flynn & Jack Rossiter & Nicholas Ashford, 2013. "“Friday off”: Reducing Working Hours in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Amitava Dutt, 2012. "Distributional dynamics in Post Keynesian growth models," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(3), pages 431-452.
    3. Eckhard Hein & Valeria Jimenez, 2022. "The macroeconomic implications of zero growth: a post-Keynesian approach," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 19(1), pages 41-60, April.
    4. Eckhard Hein, 2018. "Autonomous government expenditure growth, deficits, debt, and distribution in a neo-Kaleckian growth model," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 316-338, April.
    5. Olivier Allain, 2021. "A supermultiplier model of the natural rate of growth," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 612-634, July.
    6. Eckhard Hein & Ryan Woodgate, 2021. "Stability issues in Kaleckian models driven by autonomous demand growth—Harrodian instability and debt dynamics," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 388-404, May.
    7. Fontana, Giuseppe & Sawyer, Malcolm, 2016. "Towards post-Keynesian ecological macroeconomics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 186-195.
    8. Taylor, Lance & Rezai, Armon & Foley, Duncan K., 2016. "An integrated approach to climate change, income distribution, employment, and economic growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 196-205.
    9. Steven M. Fazzari & Pietro E. Ferri & Edward G. Greenberg & Anna Maria Variato, 2013. "Aggregate demand, instability, and growth," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 1(1), pages 1-21, January.
    10. Amitava Krishna Dutt, 2019. "Some observations on models of growth and distribution with autonomous demand growth," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(2), pages 288-301, May.
    11. Steven M Fazzari & Piero Ferri & Anna Maria Variato, 2020. "Demand-led growth and accommodating supply," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 44(3), pages 583-605.
    12. Marc Lavoie & Won Jun Nah, 2020. "Overhead Labour Costs in a Neo-Kaleckian Growth Model with Autonomous Non-Capacity Creating Expenditures," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 511-537, October.
    13. Franklin Serrano & Fabio Freitas, 2017. "The Sraffian supermultiplier as an alternative closure for heterodox growth theory," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(1), pages 70-91, April.
    14. Giuseppe Fontana & Malcolm Sawyer, 2013. "Post-Keynesian and Kaleckian thoughts on ecological macroeconomics," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 10(2), pages 256-267.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eckhard Hein & Valeria Jimenez, 2022. "The macroeconomic implications of zero growth: a post-Keynesian approach," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 19(1), pages 41-60, April.
    2. Allain, Olivier, 2022. "A supermultiplier model with two non-capacity-generating semi-autonomous demand components," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 91-103.
    3. Eckhard Hein & Ryan Woodgate, 2021. "Stability issues in Kaleckian models driven by autonomous demand growth—Harrodian instability and debt dynamics," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 388-404, May.
    4. José A. Pérez‐Montiel & Carles Manera, 2022. "Is autonomous demand really autonomous in the United States? An asymmetric frequency‐domain Granger causality approach," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 78-92, February.
    5. Pedrosa, Ítalo & Brochier, Lídia & Freitas, Fabio, 2023. "Debt hierarchy: Autonomous demand composition, growth and indebtedness in a Supermultiplier model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    6. Peter Skott & Júlio Fernando Costa Santos & José Luís da Costa Oreiro, 2022. "Supermultipliers, ‘endogenous autonomous demand’ and functional finance," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 220-244, February.
    7. Hardt, Lukas & O'Neill, Daniel W., 2017. "Ecological Macroeconomic Models: Assessing Current Developments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 198-211.
    8. Olivier Allain, 2021. "A supermultiplier model of the natural rate of growth," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 612-634, July.
    9. Røpke, Inge, 2016. "Complementary system perspectives in ecological macroeconomics — The example of transition investments during the crisis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 237-245.
    10. Eckhard Hein, 2017. "Post-Keynesian macroeconomics since the mid 1990s: main developments," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(2), pages 131-172, September.
    11. Rezai, Armon & Stagl, Sigrid, 2016. "Ecological Macreconomics: Introduction and Review," Ecological Economic Papers 9, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    12. Dafermos, Yannis & Nikolaidi, Maria & Galanis, Giorgos, 2017. "A stock-flow-fund ecological macroeconomic model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 191-207.
    13. Guilherme Spinato Morlin & Nikolas Passos & Riccardo Pariboni, 2024. "Growth Theory and the Growth Model Perspective: Insights from the Supermultiplier," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 1130-1155, July.
    14. Joana David Avritzer & Lídia Brochier, 2022. "Household credit-financed consumption and the debt service ratio: tackling endogenous autonomous demand in the Supermultiplier model," Working Papers PKWP2219, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    15. Yannis Dafermos & Maria Nikolaidi, 2019. "Fiscal policy and ecological sustainability," FMM Working Paper 52-2019, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    16. Piero Ferri & Fabio Tramontana, 2022. "Autonomous demand, multiple equilibria and unemployment dynamics," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 17(1), pages 209-223, January.
    17. Ramesh Chandra Das & Tonmoy Chatterjee & Enrico Ivaldi, 2024. "Revisiting policy combinations under IS–LM–EE framework introducing capacity utilization," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 903-932, February.
    18. Di Bucchianico, Stefano, 2021. "Inequality, household debt, ageing and bubbles: A model of demand-side Secular Stagnation," IPE Working Papers 160/2021, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    19. Guilherme Haluska & Julia Braga & Ricardo Summa, 2021. "Growth, investment share and the stability of the Sraffian Supermultiplier model in the U.S. economy (1985–2017)," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 345-364, May.
    20. Yannis Dafermos & Maria Nikolaidi, 2019. "Fiscal policy and ecological sustainability: A post-Keynesian perspective," Working Papers PKWP1912, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    zero-growth economies; socio-ecological transition; labour market stability; working time reduction;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:ipewps:2112023. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iphwrde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.