By: |
Kim, Jinyoung (Korea University);
Kim, Seonghoon (Singapore Management University);
Koh, Kanghyock (Korea University) |
Abstract: |
Despite unambiguous predictions of the canonical model of a competitive labor
market, empirical studies on the labor market effects of payroll taxation
provide conflicting evidence. Our meta-analysis shows that varying degrees of
labor market competitiveness across places and time could be one explanation
for the mixed results. We then estimate the labor market impacts of payroll
taxation in Singapore, the country with most competitive and flexible labor
market among the countries investigated in the literature. By exploiting the
sharp reduction in payroll tax rate when workers turn 60, we find that the
payroll tax cut in Singapore has a large effect on wages without changes in
employment. We provide novel evidence corroborating the canonical model
prediction that the welfare costs of social insurance programs financed by
payroll taxes can be minimized in a competitive labor market. |
Keywords: |
payroll tax, labor market outcomes, incidence, regression discontinuity design, meta-analysis, labor market competitiveness |
JEL: |
H24 I31 J22 |
Date: |
2021–04 |
URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14321&r= |