Trade, labour market rigidity, and aggregate productivity in OECD countries

Abstract

As the economy becomes more open to trade, aggregate productivity can increase by driving out the least productive firms (the selection effect). Since the selection effect reallocates resources toward the more productive firms, this process can be hindered by rigidity in domestic labour market institutions. Based on the selection effect by Melitz (2003), this article empirically examines how rigidity in labour market institutions affects the consequence of trade on aggregate productivity. Findings from panel dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimators suggest that a high degree of labour market rigidity in an open economy reduces Total Factor Productivity (TFP). In particular, in the case of extremely high labour market rigidity but low foreign R&D capital stocks, openness to trade can cause a country to experience decreasing TFP.