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Productivity, Taxes, and Hours Worked in Spain: 1970-2015

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  • Juan Carlos Conesa
  • Timothy J. Kehoe

Abstract

In the early 1970s, hours worked per working-age person in Spain were higher than in the United States. Starting in 1975, however, hours worked in Spain fell by 40 percent. We find that 80 percent of the decline in hours worked can be accounted for by the evolution of taxes in an otherwise standard neoclassical growth model. Although taxes play a crucial role, we cannot argue that taxes drive all of the movements in hours worked. In particular, the model underpredicts the large decrease in hours in 1975?1986 and the large increase in hours in 1994?2007. The lack of productivity growth in Spain during 1994?2015 has little impact on the model?s prediction for hours worked.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Carlos Conesa & Timothy J. Kehoe, 2017. "Productivity, Taxes, and Hours Worked in Spain: 1970-2015," Staff Report 550, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmsr:550
    DOI: 10.21034/sr.550
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Manuel García‐Santana & Enrique Moral‐Benito & Josep Pijoan‐Mas & Roberto Ramos, 2020. "Growing Like Spain: 1995–2007," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 61(1), pages 383-416, February.
    2. Pablo D'Erasmo & Enrique Mendoza, 2011. "Optimal Domestic (and External) Sovereign Default," PIER Working Paper Archive 16-019, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 04 Aug 2016.
    3. Luisa Fuster, 2022. "Macroeconomic and distributive effects of increasing taxes in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 613-648, December.
    4. Nezih Guner, 2017. "Introduction to the special issue on the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 311-314, November.
    5. repec:ehu:dfaeii:6737 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Cruz A. Echevarr a & Amaia Iza, 2011. "Social security, education retirement and growth," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 198(3), pages 9-36, September.
    7. Díaz, Antonia & Franjo, Luis, 2016. "Capital goods, measured TFP and growth: The case of Spain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 19-39.
    8. Cheuk Yin Ho, 2007. "Illegal migration and economic growth: simulation analysis in an international context," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 6(41), pages 1-13.
    9. Gálvez-Iniesta, Ismael, 2024. "The role of immigration in a deep recession," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    10. repec:ehu:dfaeii:6651 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Enrique Moral-Benito, 2018. "Growing by learning: firm-level evidence on the size-productivity nexus," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 9(1), pages 65-90, March.
    12. Duernecker, Georg & Herrendorf, Berthold, 2018. "On the allocation of time – A quantitative analysis of the roles of taxes and productivities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 169-187.
    13. Çiçek, Deniz & Elgin, Ceyhun, 2011. "Not-quite-great depressions of Turkey: A quantitative analysis of economic growth over 1968–2004," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 2691-2700.
    14. Jose Emilio Boscá & Rafael Domenech & Javier Ferri, 2008. "Tax Reforms and Labour-market Performance: An Evaluation for Spain using REMS," Working Papers 0804, International Economics Institute, University of Valencia.
    15. Juan Carlos Conesa & Pau S. Pujolas, 2019. "The Canadian productivity stagnation, 20022014," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 52(2), pages 561-583, May.
    16. Dalton, John T., 2015. "The Evolution Of Taxes And Hours Worked In Austria, 1970–2005," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(8), pages 1800-1815, December.
    17. Roberto Ellery Jr. & Victor Gomes, 2014. "Fiscal Policy, Supply Shocks and Economic Expansion in Brazil from 2003 to 2007," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 11(3), pages 53-75, June.
    18. Stylianos G. Gogos & Dimitris Papageorgiou & Vanghelis Vassilatos, 2017. "Rent Seeking Activities and Aggregate Economic Performance - The Case of Greece," Working Papers 201712, Athens University Of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
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