Evaluating labour market flexibility in V4 countries

This contribution focuses on evaluation of labour market flexibility in the V4 countries. These countries have similar historical destiny but the economic transition led to new labour market institutions. Labour market outcomes are thus quite different in the last decades. Using a small closed DSGE model with search and matching frictions, the main structural labour market differences among these countries are revealed. These differences are related to the changes in separation rates, matching efficiency, match elasticity of unemployed and the bargaining power of the workers. The models are identified using Bayesian techniques. Comparing the moments of simulated data, we can conclude that the estimated models are able to replicate the main statistical properties of the observed data. The labour market in Hungary seems to be the most flexible regarding the labour market dynamics in the light of the nascent economic recovery. On the other hand, all examined economies are similar to the extent of the low wage bargaining power of the workers

Investigating differences between the Czech and Slovak labour market

This contribution reveals some structural properties and differences of the Czech and Slovak labour markets. A small search and matching model incorporated into standard DSGE model is estimated using Bayesian techniques. Two sources of rigidities were implemented: wage bargaining mechanism and "search and matching" process matching workers and firms. The results show that search and matching aspect provides satisfactory description of employment flows in both economies. Model estimates provide interesting evidence that wage bargaining process is determined mainly by the power of the firms. These results support the view of flexible wage environment in both economies. On the other hand, the firms are confronted by the increasing vacancy posting costs that limit vacancies creation. Relative low separation rate provides evidence of reduced mobility of the workers

Efficiency of the European labour markets: The Case of Czech Republic (A Stochastic frontier model approach)

This contribution aims to provide a consistent methodology to evaluate the performance of the European labour markets in the last 20 years and to reveal the most important factors influencing the efficiency of these labour markets. In particular, it focuses on the Czech labour market. Labour markets and their dynamics may be described by the standard Cobb-Douglas matching functions. Successful matches are thus treated as an output of a production process where unemployed are paired with available vacancies. Unemployment outflows are determined by the efficiency of corresponding matching process. Using stochastic frontier model approach, we estimate the efficiency of matching functions of Czech labour market, reveal the dynamics of quantified efficiency indicators and evaluate the differences among the regions. The stochastic frontier is estimated using the regional panel data set for the period 1997-2013. The model specification includes fixed effec

Czech labour market through the lens of a search and matching DSGE model

This contribution reveals some important structural properties of the Czech labour market in the last fifteen years and evaluates possible changes within this period. A small search and matching model incorporated into standard macroeconomic dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model is estimated using Bayesian techniques. The results show that search and matching aspect provides satisfactory description of employment flows in the Czech economy. Model estimates provide convincing evidence that wage bargaining process is determined mainly by the power of the unions and that the institutional changes of the Czech labour market in the last fifteen years had only little real impact on the matching effectiveness.Příspěvek nalézá některé zajímavé vlastnosti českého trhu práce v posledních patnácti letech a hodnotí změny, které v tomto období na trhu práce proběhly. V příspěvku je odhadnut malý search and matching model zabudovaný do konceptu standardního makroekonomického dynamického stochastického modelu všeobecné rovnováhy. Model je odhadnut s využitím bayesovských technik. Výsledky ukazují, že search and matching přístup poskytuje dostatečný popis dynamiky zaměstnanosti v české ekonomice. Odhady modelu poskytují přesvědčivý důkaz pro tvrzení, že proces mzdového vyjednávání je ovlivněn zejména silou odborů a že institucionální změny na českém trhu práce v posledních patnácti letech měly jen malý dopad na efektivitu přiřazovaní

Efficiency of the matching process on the Czech regional labour markets

This contribution aims to quantify the performance of the Czech regional labour markets and to reveal the most influencing economic factors standing behind. Investigated labour markets are described by the corresponding matching functions. From this point of view the successful matches are treated as an output of production process where unemployed are paired with vacancies. Resulting unemployment outflows are determined by the efficiency of this matching process. Using stochastic frontier model approach, we estimate the efficiency of regional matching functions, evaluate the differences among the regions and reveal the key determinants of this kind of effectiveness. The stochastic frontier is estimated using regional panel data for the period 1997-2013

Labour market frictions in a small open economy model of the Czech Republic

This contribution examines the impacts of introducing search and matching frictions in an open economy DSGE framework of the Czech economy. Model estimates should help to understand the driving forces behind important labour market variables: the wage bargaining power of unions, the match elasticity of unemployed, the efficiency of the matching process, separation rate and the flexibility of wages. Search and matching aspect provides satisfactory description of employment flows in the Czech economy. Moreover, the model of the open economy fits the business cycle features of the main economic variables better than the closed model

Measuring Inefficiency of the Czech Labour Market

This paper aims to quantify the performance of the Czech regional labour markets and to reveal the most influential economic factors standing behindits dynamics in the last fifteen years. Investigated labour markets are described using matching function approach. The successful matches are treated as an output of production process, where the unemployed are paired with vacancies. Efficiency of this matching process plays an important role in determining unemployment outflows. Using stochastic frontier model approach, dynamics of quantified efficiency terms is revealed and differences among regions are evaluated. The model specification includes a fixed effect term, where individual effect terms and inefficiency terms are estimated jointly. The stochastic frontier is estimated using monthly and quarterly regional panel data of 77 districts for the period 1999-2014. Matching efficiency of the Czech regional labour markets is negatively influenced by people who have been unemployed for a long time and by the unemployed aged over 50 years. Although all districts were able to operate at their stochastic fron-tiers of matching, an upward trend in the inefficiency has been found within the investigated period. These tendencies are accompanied by rising disparities among the regions. Low levels of estimated matching inefficiency do not necessary mean the low unemployment in the corresponding districts

The role of exchange rate dynamics in Bulgaria and Romania in the process of economic transition

Our contribution focuses on the role of the exchange rate changes in Bulgaria and Romania during the transition process toward a market economy. We are interested in the degree of exchange rate pass-through to the domestic inflation in these countries. Both of the countries suffered from a high level of inflation and tried to fix their exchange rates in some of the periods. But they were forced to abandon it consequently and it was often followed by sharp depreciation. The goal of our contribution is to evaluate shock absorbing role of the exchange rate changes. We try to verify a traditional hypothesis that exchange rate adjustments are able to accommodate the shocks hitting the economy and to dampen their influence on the other macroeconomic variables. On the other hand, exogenous shocks in the foreign countries may affect exchange rate and lead to additional volatility of the main economic indicators in the domestic economy. This shock generating role of the exchange rate will be evaluated as well. We will use structural vector autoregression models identified by Cholesky decomposition

Labor Market Frictions in the Czech Republic and Hungary

The goal of this paper is to investigate and compare the structural and dynamical characteristics of the Czech and Hungarian economy. The focus lies mainly on the examination of the development of key labor market variables. We also want to capture the changes that occurred due to the Great Recession in 2008. We estimate a DSGE model with search and matching frictions, price and wage rigidities and hiring costs. The monetary authority sets the nominal interest rates according to a Taylor-type rule. The wages setting mechanism and hours worked are the result of the Nash bargaining process. This model is estimated for the quarterly data of the Czech Republic and Hungary for the period 2001Q2 – 2014Q4. The results show that the reactions of variables to monetary shock are larger in the Czech Republic. This suggests that the monetary policy is less efficient in Hungary during the examined period. The bargaining power of workers is stronger in the Czech economy. This coefficient is smaller in Hungary, which is in line with the low trade union participation of workers. The model shows the preference, foreign and disutility from work shocks to be the main cause of the Great Recession in both countries

The impact of exchange rate changes on inflation in the V4 countries in the process of economic transition

Our contribution focuses on the role of the exchange rate changes in the V4 countries during the transition process towards a market economy. Regarding the variety of exchange rate regimes implemented in the V4 countries at the start of the economic transition, we are especially interested in the degree of exchange rate pass-through to the domestic inflation in these countries. The respective countries followed different exchange rate strategies. The fixed exchange rate regime was applied in Czechoslovakia. Crawling peg was used in Hungary and Poland. And floating and fixed exchange rate with large band were applied in the new century. We have compared the impacts of the different exchange rate regimes on the price sta-bility during the transformation process. The effects were examined using country specific SVAR models and corresponding historical shock decompositions. We found out that the exchange rate indeed played important role in the price stability but the specific impact is highly individual