Wage and (un-)employment effects of an ageing workforce

Arbeitspapier

In almost all Western economies the median age of the workforce is increasing due to demographic factors. Given the empirical fact that workers of different ages are not perfect substitutes in production, this paper explores how change in the age pattern affects wages and (un)employment. We develop a general equilibrium model where wages for young and old workers are set by monopoly unions at the firm-level. Contrary to the common wisdom on this topic, we show that an increase in the relative number of older workers for a given labor force size has no effect on young and old unemployment. If, however, unions attach a higher weight to the wishes of the old, the unemployment rate of the old (young) will increase (decrease). In this case we observe a redistribution of wage income from the young to the old.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: MAGKS Joint Discussion Paper Series in Economics ; No. 2009,21

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: workforce ageing ; unemployment ; wage bargaining

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Michaelis, Jochen ; Debus, Martin
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Philipps-University Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics
• (where): Marburg
• (when): 2009

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/30119
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET