Documents Kwapil, Claudia 2 results

"We analyse the relative intensity and character of price vs. cost and wage vs. employment firm-level adjustment to cost-push shocks in the European System of Central Banks Wage Dynamics Network (WDN) survey data set. The results document several statistically significant and theoretically sensible relationships: price increases are less likely when product market competition is more intense, and more likely when collective wage agreements or employment protection legislation constrain firm-level reactions. We discuss how changes of such structural and institutional features of firms and of their environment may underlie the evolution of macroeconomic adjustment mechanisms in Europe."

"This article is based on the results of two company surveys - the first was conducted in 2007, before the recession 2008/2009 hit Austria, and the second was conducted in 2009 shortly after the trough of it. We analyse firms' reactions to the crisis and focus on their labour market relevant decisions. Although base wages were cut more frequently than in economically calm times, wage reductions continued to be the exception rather than the rule. This indicates the existence of nominal wage rigidities in Austria. Instead of wage cuts, firms preferred to reduce working hours and to dismiss employees. We find that firm specific characteristics as well as characteristics of the workforce help explaining a firm's probability of dismissing employees. However, the force of the shock by which an individual firm is hit (during the 2008/2009 recession) does not influence the likelihood of dismissals."