Competitiveness in Transition Economies: What Scope for Real Appreciation?

Author/Editor:

Kornelia Krajnyak ; Jeromin Zettelmeyer

Publication Date:

November 1, 1997

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

This paper estimates equilibrium dollar wages for 15 transition economies. Equilibrium dollar wages are interpreted as full employment wages consistent with a country’s physical and human capital endowment, and estimated by regressing actual dollar wages on productivity and human capital proxies in a short (1990-95) panel of 85 countries. The main results are: (i) equilibrium dollar wages have appreciated steadily in the Baltic countries and fast-reforming Central and Eastern European (CEE) transition economies, but have been flat in most CIS countries; and (ii) 1996 actual dollar wages remain below estimated equilibrium dollar wages for most but not all transition countries covered.

Series:

Working Paper No. 1997/149

Subject:

Notes:

Also published in Staff Papers, Vol. 45, No. 2, June 1998.

English

Publication Date:

November 1, 1997

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451923551/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA1491997

Pages:

55

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