and the trend rate of productivity growth is small, a rise in firing costs affects mainly the hiring decision. Thus there … growth is large, firing costs affect mainly the firing decision. Then, as a result, average employment is increased. Our …

The data indicate that non-wage labour costs in Germany have reached a record high in recent years. From 1972 to 2001 …, the ratio of non-wage labour costs to direct compensation in West German manufacturing industry rose from 55.6 per cent to … 81.2 per cent. The topic of non-wage labour costs is increasingly being discussed among and between the political parties …

firing costs ; heterogeneous workers …