In this paper we present an extension of the Taylor model with staggered wages in which wage-setting is also influenced by reference norms (i.e. by benchmark wages). We show that reference norms can considerably increase the persistence of inflation and the extent of real wage rigidity but that...

We provide empirical evidence on the degree and characteristics of price rigidity in Austria by estimating the average frequency of price changes and the duration of price spells from a large data set of individual price records collected for the computation of the Austrian CPI.

The evolution of higher moments of the firm size distribution so far seems to be neglected in the empirical firm growth literature. Based on GMM estimates, this paper introduces simple Wald tests to investigate whether the firm size distribution converges in both the second and third central...

In this study we use a long run macroeconomic model for Austria to simulate the effects of aging on employment, output growth, and the solvency of the social security system. By disaggregating the population into six age cohorts and modelling sex specific participation rates for each cohort, we...

While the volatility of job creations has been studied extensively, the survival chances of new jobs are less researched. The question when and how to expand a firm is of importance, both from the firm’s and from a macro perspective. Adjustment cost theories and arguments about option values...

We integrate age specific productivity differentials into a long-run neoclassical growth model for the Austrian economy with a highly disaggregated labor supply structure. We assume two life time productivity profiles reflecting either small or large hump-shaped productivity differentials and...