Skip to main content
Log in

Tax Reform and Employment in Europe

  • Published:
International Tax and Public Finance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent modifications of tax systems between 1985 and 1992 within major parts of the European Union contributed to changes in the labour market. The principal countries under investigation are Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom, and the method of investigation is the numerical simulation of a multi-country general equilibrium model. Changes in VAT rates and in the personal income tax schedule are investigated. We conclude that a non-trivial part of the labour market changes may be due to reactions of the market to changes in these tax rates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balakrishnan, N. (1992). Handbook of the Logistic Distribution. Marcel Dekker.

  • Bean, C. R., P. R. G. Layard, and S. J. Nickell. (1986). “The Rise in Unemployment: A Multi-Country Study. ” Economica 53, s1–s22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchflower, D. G., and A. Oswald. (1994). The Wage Curve. London: M.I.T. Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C., and J. M. Orszag. (1998). “A Model of the Wage Curve. ” Economics Letters 59, 119–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, A. S., J. P. Hutton, F. Laroui, and A. Ruocco. (1998). “Labour Market Effects of VAT Harmonisation in a Multicountry AGE Model. ” In A. Fossati and J. Hutton (eds.), Policy Simulations in the European Union, chap. 4, pp. 59–78. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, and Young (1995). VAT and Sales Taxes Worldwide. John Wiley and Sons.

  • Eurostat. (1996). Yearbook 96. Eurostat.

  • Fehr, H., C. Rosenberg, and W. Wiegard. (1995). Welfare Effects of Value-Added Tax Harmonization in Europe. Springer.

  • Fortin, B., and G. Lacroix. (1997). “A Test of the Unitary and Collective Models of Household Labour Supply. ” Economic Journal 107, 933–955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goerke, L. (1999). “Efficiency Wages and Taxes. ” Australian Economic Papers 38(2).

  • Knoester, A., and A. V. de Windt. (1987). “Real Wages and Taxation in Ten OECD Countries. ” Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 49(1).

  • Lambert, P. (1993). The Distribution and Redistribution of Income: A Mathematical Analysis. Manchester: Manchester University Press, UK, 2nd edn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, B., and A. Manning. (1993). “Wage Setting and the Tax System: Theory and Evidence for the United Kingdom. ” Journal of Public Economics 52, 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickell, S. J. (1998). “Unemployment: Questions and Some Answers. ” Economic Journal pp. 802–816.

  • OECD. (1995). The OECD Jobs Study: Taxation, Employment and Unemployment. OECD, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (1997). Employment Outlook. OECD, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruocco, A. (1996). “A Multi-Country General Equilibrium Model for the European Union: The Basic Features and the Coding Structure. ” Discussion Paper 83, Wirtschaftwissenschaftlichte Facultat, University of Tubingen.

  • Shapiro, C., and J. Stiglitz. (1984). “Equilibrium Unemployment as a Worker Discipline Device. ” American Economic Review 74, 433–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shoven, J. B., and J. Whalley. (1984). “Applied General Equilibrium Models of Taxation and International Trade: An Introduction and Survey. ” Journal of Economic Literature 22, 1007–1051.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistisches-Bundesamt. (1996). Statistical Yearbook for Foreign Countries. Metzler-Poeschel.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hutton, J.P., Ruocco, A. Tax Reform and Employment in Europe. International Tax and Public Finance 6, 263–287 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008730928998

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008730928998

Navigation