The impact of corruption on the shadow labor market

Abstract

In this paper we analyze how corruption affects the shadow labor market and describe the facts of the relationship between corruption and the factors shaping shadow employment. Confirmation of relationship between the spread of corruption and shadow employment in Ukraine is the objective of this investigation, and its results are presented in this paper. In order to achieve the set goal, the authors developed scientific tasks to determine the factors stimulating shadow employment and to carry out correlation and regression analysis of the relationship between the Corruption Perception Index in Ukraine and the indicators stimulating the growth of shadow employment in Ukraine. Despite the absolute negative effect of the excessive spread of both corruption and shadow labor market on national economies, the authors suggest that corruption is an impulse for the growth of shadow labor market. The paper is based on the hypothesis that the individual motivation for participation in undeclared labor activities is of common interest for both employers and employees. Therefore, the authors describe the spread of the shadow labor market by means of indicators, which form shadow employment from the sidelines of supply and demand in this market. Thus, it is defined that the factors that form the shadow labor market from the supply sideline include: the level of unemployment; the level of migration; the level of wages and social security. The factors that form shadow employment from the demand sideline include: the level of tax burden on wages; staff turnover and the dynamics of the population level. The carried out regression analysis between the indicators of corruption and the factors that form shadow employment on the demand and supply sidelines shows that corruption has a significant impact on the level of unemployment in Ukraine, labor external migration, the level of poverty among the working population, the level of social protection and the level of tax burden. Therefore, the reduction in the corruption level will have a significant impact on the socio-economic indicators that incite shadow employment from both demand and supply sidelines on the unregistered labor. Our conclusions indicate that in order to improve the socio-economic indicators of economic development, which have an impact on the spread of the shadow labor market, the Government first of all should reduce the level of corruption in the economy.