We study the distributional effect of a wage indexation mechanism - the Scala Mobile (SM) - that heavily compressed the distribution of Italian wages during the 1970s and 1980s. The SM imposed large real wage increases at the bottom of the distribution and was essentially irrelevant for...

Empirical and institutional evidence finds considerable time variation in the degree of wage indexation to past inflation, a finding that is at odds with the assumption of constant indexation parameters in most New-Keynesian DSGE models. We build a DSGE model with endogenous wage indexation in...

It is an open question whether and how indexed wage contracts reduce welfare or raise average inflation. This paper analyzes the impact of indexed wage contracts on inflation and social welfare in a Barro Gordon model with discretionary monetary policy by endogenizing social costs of indexation....

Empirical estimations suggest heavy-tailed unconditional distributions for inflation, the output gap and the interest rate. However, standard NK models used in policy analysis imply normal distributions for these variables. In this study, we propose a model which replicates the above mentioned...

Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) coverage figures suggest a time variation in the degree of wage indexation. In spite of this observation, most current literature conveniently assume a constant degree of indexation as this variable is not directly observable. This study intends to empirically...

We estimate a New Keynesian wage Phillips curve for a panel of 24 OECD countries, and allow the degree of wage indexation to past inflation to vary according to the monetary policy regime. We find that the extent of wage indexation is significantly lower in an inflation targeting regime, in...

Membership in a monetary union implies stronger incentives for nominal wage flexibility in the form of wage indexation and shorter contract length than nonmembership. For example, entry into a monetary union may cause a move from a non-indexation to an indexation equilibrium. But more wage...

In this paper, we provide evidence on the existence and evolution of downward real and nominal wage rigidities in Mexico in the period 1996-2011, which was characterized by a reduction in the level and volatility of inflation. Our results suggest that, throughout the period, a larger fraction of...