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Discussion Paper Details

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Title: Real and Nominal Wage Rigidities and the Rate of Inflation: Evidence from West German Microdata

Author(s): Thomas Bauer, Holger Bonin and Uwe Sunde

Publication Date: February 2004

Keyword(s): collective bargaining, downward wage rigidity, real effects of inflation, switching regime model and west germany

Programme Area(s): Labour Economics

Abstract: The Paper examines real and nominal wage rigidities. We estimate a switching regime model, in which the observed distribution of individual wage changes, computed from West German register data for 1976-97, is generated by simultaneous processes of real, nominal or no wage rigidity, and measurement error. The fraction of workers facing wage increases that are due to nominal, but mostly real, wage rigidity is substantial. The extent of real rigidity rises with inflation, whereas the opposite holds for nominal rigidity. Overall, the incidence of wage rigidity, which accelerates unemployment growth, is most likely minimized in an environment with moderate inflation.

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Bibliographic Reference

Bauer, T, Bonin, H and Sunde, U. 2004. 'Real and Nominal Wage Rigidities and the Rate of Inflation: Evidence from West German Microdata'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=4271