Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/95728 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
1996
Citation: 
[Publisher:] Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 1996
Series/Report no.: 
DIW Discussion Papers No. 138
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
A transformation of what had become a universal 40 hour standard work week in Germany began in 1985 with reductions negotiated in the metal-working and printing sectors. These reductions have continued through 1995, and were followed by reductions in other sectors. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, I find that increased overtime or reduced short time was little used to offset the reduction in standard hours: a one hour reduction in standard hours appears to have translated into a reduction in actual hours worked of between 0.85 and 1 hour for workers in manufacturing. One might expect this to result in a loss of earnings for workers in affected industries. However, I substantiate the union claim of "full wage compensation": reductions in standard hours were accompanied by a relative rise in the hourly straight-time wage of 2-3 % for each hour fall in standard hours, enough to keep monthly earnings the same as in unaffected industries.
Document Type: 
Working Paper
Document Version: 
Digitized Version

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