J21 - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and StructureReturn

The aim of this study is to verify the validity of Barro-Ricardo equivalence in Czech conditions with the help of experimental methods. Ricardian equivalence, in which case consumers postpone consumption under lower taxation, is a basic assumption of many studies dealing with intertemporal decision making and has important implications for government tax policy. Using nonparametric methods and panel data regression, we find that Ricardian equivalence does not hold in general. Our results suggest that taxation has a significant impact on consumption decisions. Over the life cycle, a tax cut increases consumption on average by 28.7% of the tax credit. Conversely, a tax increase causes a 27.8% increase in consumption on average. Using individual consumption time series, we find that approximately 70% of the tested individuals behave contrary to Ricardian equivalence. Our results show that a change in tax levels affects consumption in subsequent periods.

This article aims to determine and evaluate factors influencing migration behaviour and decision to migrate in 14 regions of the Czech Republic in the periods 1995–2018 and 2004–2018 (after the accession to the EU). The panel data analysis conducted mostly confirms our hypotheses on the impact of the analysed factors, confirming the impact of GDP growth, number of job listings at Labour Offices, number of job applicants, employment in industry and number of finished dwellings. The exceptions are the variables for the crime rate and number of college students in the region, where we found a positive but barely statistically significant coefficient. One group of factors (GDP growth, jobs at Labour Office, finished dwellings) prove to be pull factors, i.e., they are statistically significant and have a positive impact on migration flows. There are also two push factors, both of which represent the labour market situation and, to some extent, the structure of the economy in the region (number of job applicants and employment in industry). Their relationship with migration flows is negative and statistically significant, while several robustness tests are employed.

The aim of the presented research is to quantify the costs of unemployment in the Czech Republic in the years before start of the 2020 exogenous crisis. The costs of unemployment are quantified as direct costs and induced costs. The research method is based on the con- struction of the average unemployed. I identify his/her average income level, length of unemployment and age, as well as level of education. The analysis also quantifies the economic effectiveness of hypothetical economic policy measures in maintaining employment.

Pension systems are strained with negative impacts on the state budget as a consequence of the endangering trend of worsening demographic structure and population aging. The aim of this paper is to map trends of employment rates of persons 65-69 years old in the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1998 and 2017 and to analyse selected determinants affecting these rates. These determinants are then subjected to statistical and regression analysis using panel data for the period 1998-2017. Based on the analysis results, the authors come to three conclusions for both countries: firstly, the increase in pensions is not a limiting factor in the employment of persons aged 65-69; secondly, the participation of persons with tertiary education is of great relevance, implying the need for support to tertiary education; thirdly, the results confirmed the significance of the health determinant of persons aged 65-69, ensuing the need for stimulating investment in health.

The issue of minimum wage is highly topical in the context of the so-called minimum wage controversy, which contradicts the attitude of the neoclassical school. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of minimum wage increase together with effects of changes in other exogenous variables such as GDP growth rate, inflation rate, unemployment compensation and other social benefits on the real unemployment rate in the Czech Republic in 2006-2018. Linear regression models are tested using the Cochrane-Orcutt method. The effect of minimum wage increase on the rate of unemployment proved to be insignificant in the period 2006-2018. A negative effect of GDP growth rate was confirmed in 2006-2018, while unemployment benefits seemed to have a positive effect on the unemployment rate. The results show a negative effect of increasing minimum wage on the unemployment rate of women in 2011-2018, in line with the neoclassical theory. The conclusions of this paper have significant economic implications for minimum wage policy.

We analyze age-specific labor market dynamics in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia over the period 2009-2012. We document a marginalized status of young workers aged 16-24, whose risk of job loss followed by unemployment is two to three times higher than that of prime-age workers (35-49). Further more, unemployed workers aged 50-61 face relatively the lowest probability of finding a job, at rates 30-50% lower than prime-age unemployed workers. These results are qualitatively in line with those established for the reference economy of the UK. Finally, we find that fluctuations in age-specific unemployment rates in all three countries are mainly driven by variations in outflow rates from unemployment rather than by variations in inflow rates into unemployment. In contrast, in the UK, the fluctuations in all age-specific unemployment rates, are decisively affected by variations in inflow rates into unemployment.

The paper is aimed at assessing efficiency of adopted measures of the concept of flexicurity in Sweden and Czech Republic in 2006-2015. It examines hypothesis that the matching process can be made more efficient by increasing the labour market flexibility. The Beveridge curve depicting the relationship between the unemployment and job vacancies is used to demonstrate a change in efficiency of labour market policies. The correlation analysis is used to address possible reasons for weaknesses of active labour market policies. Research findings show a better efficiency of the matching process in a rigid labour market, with the hypothesis being confirmed only for Czech Republic. However, the Czech labour market was fighting against higher imbalances than the Swedish one, throughout the whole period under review, with the most threatened unemployed having been both young and older people.

This article deals with multistate demography approach applied on the labour market. The multistate demography - methodology and history - are briefly described. The application of this method is presented using transitions between economically active and inactive states on the labour market and among economically inactive, employed and unemployed states. Estimation based on the Labour Force Sample Survey (LFSS) for the Czech Republic shows that during the life course (15-64 years of age) the expected length of stay for each state changes depending on the original state and age. Main differences were found for younger (25-40 years) and older (55+ years) persons.

This article addresses the issue of the relationship of parenthood, employment and economic inactivity of childcare holders. It focuses on the mother's motivation to work in the context of Czech social policy measures. The aim is to empirically verify the willingness of women, taking care of children under three years old, to return to work. The decision of mothers, about their participation the labour market, is analysed by indicator "Effective cost of return to work" and by using sensitivity analysis. Negative net fi nancial effect of return to work was identifi ed for all studied regions and types of workloads. These results demonstrate clearly that mothers, entering the labour market, are confronted with very high additional costs. These costs would not be covered by their employment income and other received benefi ts. Estimated amount of potential wage, which would encourage women to return to work, reach in some cases up to four times the median wage of women in the particular region.

This paper aims at finding out, whether the previous experience in Ukrainian construction sector increases the probability of doing the same job in the Czech construction sector. We assume that the integration of Czech and Ukrainian construction sectors led to the creation of structural channels directing Ukrainian labour migrants to the Czech Republic along the migration lines and facilitating the process of labour migration between these two countries. We employ the unique dataset created with the help of the survey conducted in Ukraine within the framework of Ukrainian migration project (UMP) in 2010-2012 and estimate multidimensional models in order to establish whether the previous experience in Ukrainian construction sector increases the probability of doing the same job in the Czech construction sector. Our results show strong empirical evidence for our hypotheses and are interpreted in the context of a broader economic restructuralization in the European Union.

The situation on the labour market in East Germany is difficult since the beginning of economic transition in the early 90's. The reasons for such a situation are complex. The implementation of single currency, the collapse of East Germany's foreign trade, the privatization method and high wages should be mentioned above all. The macroeconomic reasons for the persistently high unemployment rate are supported by microeconomic reasons, too. The unification of Germany was not perceived as a unique chance to reform the outdated German labour market. Active labour market policy measures known from the old Federal Republic of Germany were not as effective as expected.