This paper explores the existence of downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR) in 19 OECD countries, over the period 1973-1999, using data for hourly nominal wages at industry level. Based on a novel nonparametric statistical method, which allows for country and year specific variation in both the median and the dispersion of industry wage changes, we reject the hypothesis of no DNWR. The fraction of wage cuts prevented due to DNWR has fallen over time, from 70 percent in the 1970s to 11 percent in the late 1990s, but the number of industries affected by DNWR has increased. DNWR is more prevalent when unemployment is low, union density is high and employment protection legislation is strict. JEL: J3, J5, C14, C15, E31 Keywords: Downward nominal wage rigidity, OECD, employment protection legislation, wage setting * This is a revised version of 'Downward nominal wage rigidity in Europe'. We wish to thank Lars Holden and Tore Schweder for invaluable help in the formulation of the statistical methods that we use. We are also grateful to Bill Dickens, Mike Elsby, Christoph Knoppik, Alan Manning, Halvor Mehlum and seminar participants at ESEM2003, Norges Bank, IZA Bonn, and at the universities of Oslo, Umeå and Copenhagen for useful comments to earlier drafts. Views and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone and cannot be attributed to Norges Bank.

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. This paper explores the existence of downward real wage rigidity (DRWR) in 19 OECD countries, over the period 1973-1999, using data for hourly nominal earnings at the industry level. Based on a nonparametric statistical method, which allows for country-and yearspecific variation in both the median and the dispersion of industry wage changes, we find evidence of some DRWR in OECD countries overall, as well as for specific geographical regions and time periods. There is some evidence that real wage cuts are less prevalent in countries with strict employment protection legislation and high union density. Generally, we find stronger evidence for downward nominal wage rigidity than for downward real wage rigidity. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may

We assess the forecast ability of Norges Bank's regional survey for inflation, gdp growth and the unemployment rate in Norway. We propose several factor models based on regional and sectoral information given by the survey. The analysis identi fies which information extracted from the ten sectors and the seven regions performs particularly well at forecasting different variables and horizons. Results show that several factor models beat an autoregressive benchmark in forecasting inflation and unemployment rate. However, the factor models are most successful in forecasting gdp growth. Forecast combinations based on past performance give in most cases more accurate forecasts than the benchmark, but they never give the most accurate forecasts.

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This is the first paper documenting the frequency and size of price adjustments using micro data from both the high-inflation period in the 1970s and 1980s, and the period of low inflation since the early 1990s. When inflation is high and volatile, prices change more frequently and in smaller magnitudes. When inflation is low and stable, prices change less frequently but in larger magnitudes. The frequency of price changes is more important for the variation in inflation when inflation is high and volatile. When inflation is low and stable, the magnitude of the price changes is more important than the frequency. (JEL E31, E32, L11)