Employment regulation and productivity: is there a case for deregulation?

Article

Brookes, M., James, P. and Rizov, M. 2018. Employment regulation and productivity: is there a case for deregulation? Economic and Industrial Democracy. 39 (3), pp. 381-403. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X16631029
TypeArticle
TitleEmployment regulation and productivity: is there a case for deregulation?
AuthorsBrookes, M., James, P. and Rizov, M.
Abstract

This paper explores empirically the economic validity of the relatively limited approach to the regulation of employment protection pursued in the UK over the last three decades and within the European Union more recently. It does so by comparing the UK’s manufacturing labour productivity performance with those of three countries – France, Germany and Sweden – that possess more stringent employment protection laws. The findings reveal that while productivity growth in the UK was superior to France and Sweden, it was lower than in Germany. More generally, the study’s findings fail to support the existence of a straightforward negative relationship between regulatory stringency and productivity growth.

KeywordsEmployment protection, labour productivity, legal regulation, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden
PublisherSAGE Publications
JournalEconomic and Industrial Democracy
ISSN0143-831X
Electronic1461-7099
Publication dates
Online03 Mar 2016
Print01 Aug 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited07 Apr 2016
Accepted01 Feb 2016
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright Statement

Michael Brookes, Philip James, and Marian Rizov, Employment regulation and productivity: Is there a case for deregulation?, Economic and Industrial Democracy, Vol 39, Issue 3, pp. 381 - 403.
Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X16631029
LanguageEnglish
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