A WAGE-LED OR PROFIT-LED DEMAND REGIME: THE CASE OF JORDAN (1990 – 2020)

A WAGE-LED OR PROFIT-LED DEMAND REGIME: THE CASE OF JORDAN (1990 – 2020)

Purpose- Recently, the Jordanian economy has been finding it increasingly challenging to create sufficient job opportunities and absorb the new labor market entrants and hence, reduce unemployment. The economy must achieve healthy and persistent economic growth. Within this context, this paper looks at the relationship between income distribution of labor and capital on economic growth. In other words, the overall purpose of this paper is to examine whether the Jordanian economy is profit-led or wage-led. Methodology- To examine the functional distribution of income in Jordan, the paper uses the period 1990-2020 (annual data) and time series techniques including stationarity test, lag length selection criteria, and augmented autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test for cointegration. Findings- Based on the period 1990 –2020, the results indicate that the demand regime in Jordan is wage-led and not profit-led. In more specific terms, a one-percentage-point increase in the profit share decreases output by 0.08 percent. Conclusion- To rise-up to the growth and unemployment challenges that face the Jordanian economy, the government would be well-advised if it ensures that nominal wages increase in line with inflation as well as productivity. In addition, the government should adopt a wage-led strategy that rests on labour market policies whose aims are to pre-distribute income (such as minimum wage and better education and health policies) and redistribute income through progressive taxes.

___

  • Bhaduri, A., and Marglin, S. (1990). Unemployment and the real wage: the economic basis for contesting political ideologies. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 14(4), 375-393.
  • Blecker, R. (1989). International competition, income distribution and economic growth. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 13, 395-412.
  • Blecker, R. (2002). Demand, distribution, and growth in neo-Kaleckian macro models, in M. Setterfield (ed.), The Economics of Demand-Led Growth: Challenging the Supply-Side Vision of the Long Run, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 129–152
  • Blecker, R. (2011). Open economy models of distribution and growth, in E. Hein and E. Stockhammer (eds), A Modern Guide to Keynesian Macroeconomics and Economic Policies, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 215-293.
  • Stockhammer (eds), A Modern guide to Keynesian Macroeconomics and Economic Policies, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
  • Blecker, A. (2016). Wage-led versus profit-led demand regimes: the long and the short of it. Review of Keynesian Economics, 4(4), 373-390.
  • Bowles, S. and Boyer, R. (1995). Wages, aggregate demand and employment in an open economy: An empirical investigation, in G. Epstein and Gintis, H. (eds), Macroeconomic Policy after the Conservative Era, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  • Dutt, A. (1984). Stagnation, income distribution and monopoly power. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 8(1), 25-40.
  • Hein, E., and Vogel, L. (2008). Distribution and growth reconsidered: empirical results for six OECD countries. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 32(3), 479-511.
  • Hein, E. (2014). Distribution and Growth After Keynes: A Post-Keynesian Guide, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
  • Kalecki, M. (1954), Theory of economic Dynamics, London, UK: Unwin, reprinted New York, NY, USA: Monthly Review Press, 1968.
  • Kurt, Ekin Ozan. (2017). Functional income distribution and growth in South Korea: A post-Keynesian econometric analysis. Marmara Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 39(2), 553-576.
  • Kurt, Ekin Ozan. (2020),. Functional income distribution, capacity utilization, capital accumulation and productivity growth in Turkey. Metroeconomica, 71, 734-766.
  • Lavoie, M. and Stockhammer, E. (2013). Wage-led Growth: An Equitable Strategy for Economic Recovery, Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmilla.
  • Keynes, J. M. (1936). The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, London: MacMillan
  • Naastepad, C. and Storm, M. (2006). OECD demand regimes, 1960-2000. Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, 29(2), 213-48.
  • Ntshwant, M. (2022). Is growth in the South African economy profit-led or wage-led? Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences, 15 (1), 1-12.
  • Onaran, Ö. and Stockhammer, E. (2004). Do profits affect investments? Am empirical test based on the Bhaduri-Marglin model, in E. Hein, A. Heise and A. Truger (eds), Wages, Employment, Distribution and Growth: International Perspectives, Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Onaran, Ö. and Stockhammer, E. (2005). Two different export-oriented growth strategies: Accumulation and distribution in Turkey and South Korea. Emerging Finance and Trade, 41, 65-89.
  • Onaran, Ö. and Galanis, G. (2012). Is aggregate demand wage-led or profit-led? National and global effects. Condition of Work and Employment Series No.40, Geneva: International Labour Office.
  • Onaran, Ö. and Obst, T. (2016). Wage-led growth in the EU15 member states: the effects of income distribution on growth, investment, trade balance and inflation’, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 40(6), 1517-51.
  • Oyvat, C., Oztunah, O. and Elgin, C. (2020). Wage-led versus profit-led demand: A comprehensive empirical analysis. Metroeconomica, 71(3), 458-486.
  • Pesaran, M., Shin, Y., Smith, R. (2001). Bounds testing approaches the analysis of level relationships. Journal of Applied Econometrics 16,289–326.
  • Rowthorn, R. (1981). Demand, Real Wages and Economic Growth. Thames Polytechnic, Northeast London Polytechnic.
  • Stockhammer, E. and Onaran, Ö. (2004). Accumulation, distribution, and employment: A structural VAR approach to a Kaleckian macro model. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 15, 421-447.
  • Stockhammer, E., Onaran, Ö. and Ederer, S. (2009). Functional income distribution and aggregate demand in the Euro area. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 33(1), 139-59.
  • Stockhammer, E. and Onaran, Ö. (2013). Wage-led growth: Theory, evidence policy. Review of Keynesian Economics, 1, 61-78.
  • Stockhammer, E. and Stehrer, R. (2011). Goodwin or Kalecki in demand? Functional income distribution and aggregate demand in the short run. Review of Radical Political Economics, 43(4), 506-522