Social Partnership, Institutions and the Economy. Developments Since the Crisis

The report discusses empirically relevant theories concerning the channels of influence between social partnership structures and key macro-political figures, compares essential wage bargaining institutions in 16 European countries, and traces the developments of their institutional corporatist structures on the basis of comparable indicators in the longer run and since the outbreak of the crisis. A descriptive comparison of the countries with their different wage bargaining structures concerning their macroeconomic performance indicates that the countries with a high degree of employer and employee organisation or coordination ("social partnership group"), on average achieve comparatively better outcomes regarding important macroeconomic indicators. Furthermore, a comparison of the period before and after 2008 shows that these countries have overcome the negative effects of the crisis more quickly.