How to Overhaul the Labor Market : Political Economy of Recent Czech and Slovak Reforms

Publication:
How to Overhaul the Labor Market : Political Economy of Recent Czech and Slovak Reforms

dc.contributor.author	Jurajda, Štěpán
dc.contributor.author	Mathernová, Katarína
dc.date.accessioned	2012-06-26T15:38:56Z
dc.date.available	2012-06-26T15:38:56Z
dc.date.issued	2004
dc.description.abstract	The Czech and Slovak Republics – until 1993 two parts of former Czechoslovakia – offer a unique reform comparison. Even though Slovakia faced higher unemployment since early transition and it was subject to greater reform failures, the two countries experienced similar macroeconomic paths over the first decade of transition. However, since the currency crises of 1997(8), their depth of reforms has been very different, with Slovakia making major strides to improve the labor market. We suggest two explanations, one based on fiscal pressures, the other stemming from political developments. The Slovak reforms of 1998 to 2002 benefited from a window of opportunity created by pre-1998 policy failures. A small team of advisors working under an influential Cabinet member drafted and implemented many successful reforms in spite of resistance mounted by political opponents. After the 2002 electoral victory of pro-reform parties, the labor market administration has implemented a sweeping reform agenda, which benefits from the weakness of its opponents, notably the trade unions. In contrast, the post-1998 Czech governments are closely tied to trade unions and oppose radical reforms in the labor market despite rising fiscal pressures and unemployment.	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1596/9131
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10986/9131
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Washington, DC: World Bank
dc.rights	CC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holder	World Bank
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subject	World Development Report 2005
dc.title	How to Overhaul the Labor Market : Political Economy of Recent Czech and Slovak Reforms	en
dspace.entity.type	Publication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionarea	Fragility, Conflict, and Violence
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-05-05T12:18:43.012878Z
okr.globalpractice	Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management
okr.globalpractice	Health, Nutrition, and Population
okr.language.supported	en
okr.region.administrative	Europe and Central Asia
okr.relation.associatedurl	https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/5988
okr.topic	Conflict and Development
okr.topic	Finance
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population
okr.topic	Labor
okr.topic	Macroeconomics and Economic Growth
okr.topic	Private Sector