Abstract

Using data from 52 developing countries, this article analyses how the size of government affects unemployment. It tackles the reverse causality issue by instrumenting for the government size variable. According to the regression results, a large government sector is likely to increase the unemployment rate. The magnitude of the effect appears to be substantial, both among the total labour force as well as among women and young people. Furthermore, the estimates indicate that a large government sector is likely to substantially increase the share of long-term unemployed in the total number of unemployed. The results are robust to variations in specification.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.