The Political Setting of Social Security Contributions in Europe in the Business Cycle

Arbeitspapier

Social security revenues are influenced by business cycle movements. In order to support the working of automatic stabilizers it would be necessary to calculate social insurance contribution rates independently from the state of the business cycle. This paper investigates whether European countries set social contribution rates according to such a rule. By means of VAR estimations, country-specific effects can be analyzed - in contrast to earlier studies which used a panel design. As a result, some countries under investigation seem to vary their social contribution rates in a procyclical way.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IWH Discussion Papers ; No. 4/2011

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Fiscal Policy ; National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs ; Social Security and Public Pensions ; State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions ; Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
• Subject: Welfare state ; procyclical policy ; automatic stabilizers ; social insurance ; fiscal policy ; European Union ; business cycle ; Sozialstaat ; Konjunkturpolitik ; automatische Stabilisatoren ; Sozialversicherung ; Finanzpolitik ; Europäische Union ; Konjunkturzyklus

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Pusch, Toralf ; Kumpmann, Ingmar
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH)
• (where): Halle (Saale)
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/45928
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-201103183383
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET