Wage dispersion and productive efficiency: Evidence for Sweden

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hibbs, DA Jr; Locking, H
• 署名单位: University of Gothenburg; Linnaeus University; Vaxjo University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/209976
• 发表日期: 2000
• 页码: 755-782
• 关键词: pay inequality; GROWTH; unemployment; institutions

摘要

The Swedish record of enormous compression of relative wages under centralized solidarity bargaining, followed by substantial decompression of wages after central bargaining broke down, supplies observations well suited to empirical evaluation of arguments about the response of productive efficiency to shifts in wage distribution. We obtain no results supporting fairness, morale, and cohesiveness theories implying that wage leveling within workplaces and industries may enhance productivity. Reduction of interindustry wage differentials evidently did, however, contribute positively to aggregate output and productivity growth, most likely for the structural reasons first emphasized by Swedish trade union economists almost a half century ago.