A decade of labour market reforms in the EU: insights from the LABREF database

Abstract

This paper analyses the main features and determinants of labour market reforms in the EU over the period of 2000-2011 using the European Commission LABREF database. The data suggests that the timing, focus, and geographical distribution of reforms reflect the interplay between economic shocks and existing institutions. The 2008 crisis was followed by increased policy activity in most policy domains in a large number of EU countries, initially to cushion the impact of the crisis on employment and incomes, subsequently to improve the adjustment capacity of labour markets. Regression analysis indicates that reform activism is stronger in countries with lower GDP per capita and long-standing EU membership, under critical economic and labour market conditions, and where political costs are low. The direction of reforms is affected by economic and labour market conditions, available fiscal space, and by initial policy settings.JEL classification: J20, J38, J48, J58, J68

Labor policies and capital mobility in theory and in EMU

“…In the early 2000s not only did Germany stand out as much by its large current account surpluses as by its labor market reforms (Rinne and Zimmermann, 2012), but capital out ‡ows and labor market reforms were more generally related across EMU member countries. Figure 1 plots current accounts and the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and Financial A¤airs and Economic Policy Committee LABREF database of country-speci…c reforms, summarized as in Turrini et al (2015) by the cumulative country-speci…c count of measures deemed to be increasing labor market ‡exibility, net of those deemed to decrease it. 1 These data show that labor market deregulation and current account de…cits were positively and signi…cantly related across countries between 1998 (the …rst year available in the LABREF database and the last before EMU) and 2005, 2006, or 2007 (the choice between these three dates matters little because most of the divergence from zero of the two indicators had occurred by 2005, but a positive time-series association is still visible over the [2005][2006][2007] period in Greece, Spain, 1 The summary indicator includes reforms of "Job Protection (EPL)", "Labour Taxation", "Unemployment bene…ts", "Wage Setting", "Working Time", "Other welfare-related bene…ts".…”

Impact of labour market reforms on economic activity in European Union: short term costs and long term benefits

“…This is confirmed by the analysis carried out in Turrini et al (2014). Using the LABREF database, the authors analyse the determinants and impact of the labour market reforms in the European Union for the period from 000 to 0.…”

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