Labour Market Implications of EU Product Market Integration

Posted: 10 Jan 2001

See all articles by Niels Haldrup

Niels Haldrup

Aarhus University, School of Economics and Management; CREATES

Torben M. Andersen

University of Aarhus - Department of Economics; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Jan Rose Sorensen

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics

Abstract

European labour markets are in a state of flux due to the changing market situation induced by international integration. This process affects wage formation through more fierce product market competition and increased mobility of jobs. This development is by some observers taken to enforce labour market flexibility, while for others it signals an erosion of social standards and, in turn, possibly the welfare society. Since labour is not very mobile in Europe, the effects of international integration on labour markets are mostly indirect via product market integration. We review the channels through which product market integration affects labour markets and perform an empirical analysis of the convergence and interdependencies in wage formation among EU countries. We find that integration is changing labour market structures and inducing wage convergences as well as stronger wage interdependencies, but it is a gradual process. Moreover, the present study does not support the view that international integration will lead to a "race to the bottom" and rapidly erode domestic labour markets standards, nor that it will relieve politicians of the need to consider labour market reforms to improve labour market performance.

JEL Classification: J38, J68

Suggested Citation

Haldrup, Niels and Haldrup, Niels and Andersen, Torben M. and Sorensen, Jan Rose, Labour Market Implications of EU Product Market Integration. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=233849

Niels Haldrup (Contact Author)

Aarhus University, School of Economics and Management ( email )

Universitetsparken
Aarhus, DK 8000 C
Denmark
+45 8942 1133 (Phone)
+45-8613-6334 (Fax)

CREATES ( email )

School of Economics and Management
Aarhus University
Aarhus, DK 8000 C
Denmark
+4589421613 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.creates.au.dk/en

Torben M. Andersen

University of Aarhus - Department of Economics ( email )

University Park
Building 322
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
+45 8 942 1609 (Phone)
+45 8 613 6334 (Fax)

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Jan Rose Sorensen

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics ( email )

Fuglesangs Allé 4
Aarhus V
Denmark
+45 8942 1611 (Phone)

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