Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach
Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2012
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613932068274176 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Havemann, Roy Charles |
| author2 | Van der Berg, Servaas |
| author_browse | Havemann, Roy Charles Van der Berg, Servaas |
| author_facet | Van der Berg, Servaas Havemann, Roy Charles |
| author_sort | Havemann, Roy Charles |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50130 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:59.926Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50130 The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach Havemann, Roy Charles Van der Berg, Servaas Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics. Labor market -- South Africa Labor supply -- South Africa Unemployment -- South Africa Dissertations -- Economics Theses -- Economics Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nearly five million South Africans were unemployed in 2002 and creating employment opportunities is a difficult challenge. Before this issue can be tackled, however, it is critical to understand the problem. This thesis opts to contribute to this understanding by considering aspects around the demand for labour. The analysis considers a selection of the theoretical literature on the demand for labour, estimates key labour market parameters and then undertakes a number of simulations using a structural model. There are many conflicting paradigms that can be used to analyse the issue: microeconomic versus macroeconomic; neoclassical versus structuralist; theoretical versus empirical and so forth. Some of these paradigms are considered as part of the attempt to build an empirical framework that can be used to analyse the issue. The empirical results of the thesis suggest that: • Higher real wages lead to lowering of the quantity demanded of labour. The thesis estimates an economy-wide wage elasticity of employment of approximately -0,67; • Higher output stimulates the demand for labour. The single equation estimate of the employment elasticity of output is between 0,66 and 0,75, whilst the economy-wide estimate is approximately 1,1. The latter takes into account feedback effects from other macroeconomic variables, such as productivity and wages; • There is little evidence to show that the efficiency wage hypothesis holds - higher productivity leads to higher wages, but the converse is not true; • Union power increases real wages, indirectly leading to a fall in the demand for labour. This suggests that the labour market has insiders and outsiders; and • The relative price of labour is also important, with a fall in the cost of capital leading to a decrease in the demand for labour. Simulations suggest that job creation can be achieved through policies that encourage wage moderation and increase economic growth. There is also a potential role, albeit limited, for fiscal incentives such as a mooted earned income tax credit. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Byna vyf miljoen Suid-Afrikaners was werkloos in 2002 en werkskepping is 'n moeilike uitdaging. Voordat hierdie kwessie aangepak kan word, is dit egter noodsaaklik om die probleem te verstaan. Hierdie tesis dra by tot hierdie begrip deur te fokus op punte rondom die vraag na arbeid. Die ontleding kyk na 'n verskeidenheid van teoretiese literatuur oor die vraag na arbeid en identifiseer sleutel-parameters vir die arbeidsmark. Daar is soveel teenstrydige paradigmas wat gebruik kan word om die kwessie te ontleed: Mikro-ekonomies teenoor makro-ekonomies; neoklassiek teenoor strukturalisties; teoreties teenoor empiries, ensovoorts. Sommige van hierdie paradigmas word bespreek as deel van die poging om 'n empiriese raamwerk te bou wat gebruik kan word om die kwessie te ontleed. Die empiriese resultate van die tesis toon: • Hoër reële lone lei tot 'n verlaging van die hoeveelheid arbeid aangevra. Die tesis beraam die ekonomiewye loonelastisiteit van indiensneming op sowat - 0,67; • Hoër uitset stimuleer die vraag na arbeid. Die enkelvergelyking-raming van die uitset-elastisiteit van indiensneming is tussen 0,66 en 0,75, terwyl die ekonomiewye raming sowat 1,1 is. Laasgenoemde neem terugvoerinvloede van ander makro-ekonomiese veranderlikes in ag, bv. produktiwiteit en lone. • Daar is min bewyse dat die doeltreffende loon-hipotese water hou: Hoër produktiwiteit lei tot hoër lone, maar die teendeel is onwaar; • Vakbonde se mag verhoog reële lone, wat indirek lei tot 'n daling van die vraag na arbeid. Dit dui daarop dat die arbeidsmark 'n binnekring en buitestaanders het; en • Die relatiewe prys van arbeid is ook belangrik: 'n Afname van die koste van kapitaal veroorsaak 'n daling van die vraag na arbeid. Simulasies toon dat werkskepping bevorder kan word deur beleid wat loonmatiging en ekonomiese groei bevorder. Daar is ook 'n rol, alhoewel beperk, vir fiskale insentiewe, b.v. 'n loonsubsidie. Masters 2012-08-27T11:33:15Z 2012-08-27T11:33:15Z 2004-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50130 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 206 p. : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Labor market -- South Africa Labor supply -- South Africa Unemployment -- South Africa Dissertations -- Economics Theses -- Economics Havemann, Roy Charles The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title | The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title_full | The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title_fullStr | The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title_short | The demand for labour in South Africa : a theoretical and empirical approach |
| title_sort | demand for labour in south africa a theoretical and empirical approach |
| topic | Labor market -- South Africa Labor supply -- South Africa Unemployment -- South Africa Dissertations -- Economics Theses -- Economics |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50130 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT havemannroycharles thedemandforlabourinsouthafricaatheoreticalandempiricalapproach AT havemannroycharles demandforlabourinsouthafricaatheoreticalandempiricalapproach |