Michal Slavík

Labor supply after transition: evidence from the Czech Republic

We extend the scarce evidence on labor supply in post-transition countries by estimating the wage elasticity of labor force participation in the Czech Republic. Using the household income survey data of 2002, we find that a one-percent rise in the gross wage increases the probability of working by 0.16 and 0.02 percentage points for women and men, respectively. Taking into account the tax and benefit system, these semi-elasticities fall to 0.06 for women and 0.01 for men. We interpret the dierence between the estimates from the two specifications as a summary measure of the welfare system disincentives. The estimated wage elasticities lie at the lower end of the range of values reported for mature market economies. This finding is consistent with the stylized fact that the labor supply in countries with high labor force participation rates, such as in the Czech Republic, tends to be less sensitive to wages.

Pension Funds and Financial Markets: Evidence from the New EU Member States

The recently established pension funds in the new EU Member States face investment risks that stem from a challenging macroeconomic environment, including, inter alia, volatile inflation and shallow domestic capital markets. The question arises whether a move to funded pension system in such a volatile economic environment always increases the long-term sustainability of public finances. Against this background, this paper surveys the main challenges for pension systems and public finances in the new EU Member States and provides evidence on pension fund performance in recent years. We conclude that in some of these countries the limited diversification of assets, the impact of high inflation as well as the financial market turmoil may have indeed reduced the positive impact of systemic pension reforms on fiscal sustainability.