Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/169208 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
SFB 649 Discussion Paper No. 2017-018
Publisher: 
Humboldt University of Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649 - Economic Risk, Berlin
Abstract: 
This paper examines magnitudes and business cycle dynamics of social security contributions (SSC). In most OECD countries studied, we document a negative covariation of payroll tax burdens with GDP and GDP growth at business cycle and lower frequencies. We assess the overall magnitude of the distortion following Barro and Redlick (2011). For most countries, average marginal SSC tax rates exceed average rates, but the latter tracks the former tightly. Changes in average payroll tax burdens are mostly accounted for by changes in tax schedules rather than shifts in the earnings distribution over time. For many countries, SSC rates behave like estimated values of the 'labor wedge' (Chari et al. 2007, Brinca et al., 2016).
Subjects: 
business cycle
payroll tax
social security contributions
labor wedge
JEL: 
E24
E32
J32
H55
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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