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Labor Demand Effects of Rising Electricity Prices: Evidence for Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Cox, Michael
  • Peichl, Andreas

    (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)

  • Pestel, Nico

    (Maastricht University)

  • Siegloch, Sebastian

    (University of Cologne)

Abstract
Germany plays a pioneering role in replacing conventional power plants with renewable energy sources. While this is beneficial with respect to environmental quality, the energy turnaround implies increasing electricity prices for private households and firms. The extent to which this is associated with negative impacts on employment depends on the interrelationship between labor and electricity as input factors. In this paper, we estimate cross-price elasticities between electricity and heterogeneous labor for the German manufacturing sector. We use administrative linked employer-employee micro data combined with information on electricity prices and usage during the period 2003-2007. Our findings suggest that there is a weak substitutability between electricity and labor, when the production level is held constant. We find positive, but small conditional cross-price elasticities of labor demand with respect to electricity prices between 0.09 and 0.31. In case of adjustable output, we find moderate gross complementarity with negative unconditional cross-elasticities ranging between -0.06 and -0.69. Labor demand is affected differently across skill levels with low- and high-skilled workers being affected more than medium-skilled. Our estimates suggest that the announced increase of the EEG surcharge in 2014 would decrease overall employment in the manufacturing sector by 86,000 workers, a decline by 1.4 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Cox, Michael & Peichl, Andreas & Pestel, Nico & Siegloch, Sebastian, 2013. "Labor Demand Effects of Rising Electricity Prices: Evidence for Germany," IZA Policy Papers 74, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izapps:pp74
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    Cited by:

    1. Grafström, Jonas, 2023. "Spark of Transformation: The Impact of Electricity Prices on Europe's Industrial Landscape – Introducing the Green Industrial Location Attractiveness Index (GILAI)," Ratio Working Papers 369, The Ratio Institute.
    2. Sato, Misato & Singer, Gregor & Dussaux, Damien & Lovo, Stefania, 2019. "International and sectoral variation in industrial energy prices 1995–2015," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 235-258.
    3. Ferrara, Antonella Rita & Giua, Ludovica, 2022. "Indirect cost compensation under the EU ETS: A firm-level analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    4. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1jrfjrj6fp8t6q12fv5lra520c is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Gert Bijnens & Jozef Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2022. "The impact of electricity prices on European manufacturing jobs," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(1), pages 38-56, January.
    6. Bossler, Mario & Moog, Alexander & Schank, Thorsten, 2023. "Labor Demand Responses to Changing Gas Prices," IZA Discussion Papers 16015, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Heindl Peter & Aigeltinger Gerd & Liessem Verena & Römer Daniel & Schwengers Clarita & Vogt Claire, 2017. "Zum Stromkonsum von Haushalten in Grundsicherung: Eine empirische Analyse für Deutschland," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 18(4), pages 348-367, November.
    8. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1jrfjrj6fp8t6q12fv5lra520c is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Michele Raitano & Eleonora Romano & Pietro Zoppoli, 2016. "The sectorial intensity of production of renewable energy sources in Italy:measurement and effects on earnings," Working Papers 1, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    10. Nico Pestel, 2019. "Employment effects of green energy policies," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-76, December.
    11. Marin, Giovanni & Vona, Francesco, 2021. "The impact of energy prices on socioeconomic and environmental performance: Evidence from French manufacturing establishments, 1997–2015," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    12. Bijnens, Gert & Hutchinson, John & Konings, Jozef & Saint Guilhem, Arthur, 2021. "The interplay between green policy, electricity prices, financial constraints and jobs: firm-level evidence," Working Paper Series 2537, European Central Bank.
    13. Ai, Hongshan & Xiong, Shiya & Li, Ke & Jia, Pinrong, 2020. "Electricity price and industrial green productivity: Does the “low-electricity price trap” exist?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    14. Andreas Peichl & Martin Popp, 2022. "Can the Labor Demand Curve Explain Job Polarization?," CESifo Working Paper Series 9799, CESifo.
    15. Giovanni Marin & Francesco Vona, 2017. "The impact of Energy Prices on Employment and Environmental Performance : Evidence from French Manufacturing Establishments," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2017-26, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    16. Sievers, Luisa & Breitschopf, Barbara & Pfaff, Matthias & Schaffer, Axel, 2019. "Macroeconomic impact of the German energy transition and its distribution by sectors and regions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 191-204.
    17. Ann Wolverton & Ron Shadbegian & Wayne Gray, 2022. "The U.S. Manufacturing Sector�s Response to Higher Electricity Prices: Evidence from State-Level Renewable Portfolio Standards," Working Papers 22-47, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    18. Joltreau, Eugénie & Sommerfeld, Katrin, 2016. "Why does emissions trading under the EU ETS not affect firms' competitiveness? Empirical findings from the literature," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-062, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Raitano, Michele & Romano, Eleonora & Zoppoli, Pietro, 2017. "Renewable energy sources in Italy: Sectorial intensity and effects on earnings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 117-127.
    20. Mengdi Liu & Bing Zhang & Qiang Geng, 2018. "Corporate pollution control strategies and labor demand: evidence from China’s manufacturing sector," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 298-326, June.
    21. Kathrine von Graevenitz & Elisa Rottner, 2024. "Climate Policies and Electricity Prices: To Abate or to Generate?," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_504, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    22. Derya Eryilmaz, Timothy M. Smith, and Frances R. Homans, 2017. "Price Responsiveness in Electricity Markets: Implications for Demand Response in the Midwest," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    electricity prices; labor demand; employment; energy; Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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