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The Federal Planning Bureau (FPB) is an independent public agency. It draws up studies and projections on economic, social and environmental policy issues and on the integration of these policies within a context of sustainable development.
Maritza López Novella is specialised in the micro-econometric analysis of employment, unemployment and wage setting in Belgium. Part of her role within the “Labour market” team is to process the individual data provided by the various social security administrations to be used in the different forecasting models of the Federal Planning Bureau. Another part is to carry out empirical analyses based on these longitudinal databases to gain a better understanding of the functioning of the Belgian labour market and to assess policy measures. She has carried out studies on the setting and evolution of wages, including collective bargaining and wage drift, and on the impact on employment length of policies aimed at reducing wage cost and measures to extend working lives. Her current research projects include studying the impact of the increase in the youth minimum wage on youth employment and the link between qualifications and unemployment duration.
She is active in support committees for research projects on labour market funded by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office. As an expert adviser, she also takes part in the work of various groups such as the Expert Group on Competitiveness and Employment and the Belgian Institute for the Equality of Women and Men.
The "work bonus" measure is designed to stimulate labour supply and fight employment traps. Our evaluation shows that the work bonus has a non-negligible positive effect on retention. On the other hand, the measure has no effect on the evolution of the number of hours of work and slows the growth of gross wages.
The "first recruitments"measure aims to promote employment while supporting small businesses and start-ups. The analysis shows that the measure has a positive but modest impact on the probability of survival of young businesses. Furthermore, the reinforcement in 2016 does not appear to have generated any additional benefit. On the one hand, these results imply that the strengthening of the measure does not address a genuine need on the part of the recipients. On the other hand, the reinforcement may have encouraged more employers to undertake a risky business activity.
Dans cette étude, nous évaluons l’impact de trois dispositifs d’aide à l’emploi sur l’insertion de jeunes demandeurs d’emploi bruxellois. La démarche évaluative consiste à établir si les dispositifs ont accéléré la transition du chômage vers un emploi pérenne pour des jeunes demandeurs d’emploi sans expérience professionnelle. Nous utilisons un modèle de durée couplé en amont à un modèle d’appariement. Bien qu’un grand nombre de bénéficiaires voient leur probabilité de sortie du chômage augmenter grâce aux dispositifs, il n’en va pas toujours ainsi, en particulier pour les plus qualifiés. Un ciblage additionnel en termes de durée d’inoccupation permet, dans certains cas, de rendre les dispositifs plus efficaces pour ces groupes.
In deze studie bestuderen we de impact van drie werkgelegenheidsmaatregelen op de inschakeling van jonge Brusselse werkzoekenden op de arbeidsmarkt. De evaluatie beoogt na te gaan of de maatregelen de overgang van werkloosheid naar langdurig werk voor jonge werkzoekenden zonder beroepservaring hebben versneld. We gebruiken een duurmodel dat nadien gekoppeld is aan een matchingmodel. Hoewel een groot aantal begunstigden dankzij de maatregelen een grotere kans heeft om uit stromen uit de werkloosheid, is dat niet altijd het geval, meer bepaald voor de hooggeschoolden. Door een bijkomende afstemming die rekening houdt met de werkloosheidsduur kunnen de maatregelen voor deze groepen, in sommige gevallen, doeltreffender worden gemaakt.
This study seeks to identify the reasons for non-take-up by employers. It uses a mixed methods research: we have first explored the issue through in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, then carried out a quantitative survey among employers and finally sought to enhance the survey results through interviews and focus groups. The interpretation of this phased approach has provided elements for making recommendations to reduce non-take-up.
The ‘first recruitments’ measure aims at supporting job creation in new and small firms through a reduction in employers' social security contributions. However, part of the eligible employers does not claim this reduction. Using administrative data from the National Social Security Office, we seek to quantify this phenomenon, which may bias the intended effect of the measure, and to identify profiles of non-take-up.
Between April 2013 and January 2015, youth sub-minimum wage rates were repealed in Belgium. We identify the impact of the reform by comparing outcomes before and after the withdrawal, across eligible and ineligible categories of young workers, and across abolishing and not abolishing joint committees. Our results show that the reform had a small positive impact on wages and on retention rates and a comparable but negative impact on accession rates.
In this study, we investigate the exit rates from unemployment associated with different levels of education in Belgium during two periods characterised respectively by high (2002-2007) and low economic growth (2009-2014). Our estimated exit probabilities confirm that the chances of leaving unemployment are substantially higher for young unemployed who have followed post-secondary education. Moreover, the probabilities of leaving unemployment for low- and medium-skilled school leavers considerably deteriorated between the two periods. On the one hand, the penalty associated with lower education slightly increased while, on the other hand, the advantage associated with postgraduate tertiary education reinforced itself. Finally, our results show considerable heterogeneity according to region of residence and gender.
Les « Perspectives économiques 2015-2020 » annoncent une reprise de la croissance de l’économie belge. Bien que relativement modeste (1,5 % en moyenne annuelle), cette croissance irait de pair avec une progression assez soutenue de l’emploi (près de 34 000 par an en moyenne). Le poids économique de l’ensemble des administrations publiques, notamment en termes d’emploi, serait en recul, ce qui contribue, avec la baisse des charges d’intérêt, à la réduction très significative du déficit public, qui s’établirait à 1,1 % du PIB à l’horizon 2020.
De ‘Economische vooruitzichten 2015-2020’ kondigen een groeiherstel van de Belgische economie aan. Die groei is nog relatief bescheiden (gemiddeld 1,5 % per jaar), maar zou gepaard gaan met een vrij sterke werkgelegenheidsgroei (gemiddeld bijna 34 000 jobs per jaar). Het economisch gewicht van de gezamenlijke overheid zou afnemen, o.m. in termen van werkgelegenheid, en samen met de daling van de rentelasten bijdragen tot de aanzienlijke vermindering van het overheidstekort, dat 1,1 % van het bbp zou bedragen in 2020.
Dit rapport vormt een bijdrage tot de voorbereiding van het nieuwe Stabiliteitsprogramma en van het nieuwe Nationaal Hervormingsprogramma (NHP). Het vermeldt de voornaamste resultaten van de voorlopige versie van de “Economische vooruitzichten 2015-2020” die in mei 2015 gepubliceerd zullen worden.
Ce rapport constitue une contribution à la préparation du nouveau Programme de Stabilité et du nouveau Programme National de Réforme (PNR). Il reprend les principaux résultats de la version préliminaire des « Perspectives économiques 2015-2020 » qui seront publiées en mai 2015.
This paper studies wage increases in Belgium over the period 2000-2010. It specifically aims to determine to which extent the evolution of the characteristics of the labour force (composition effects) has affected those increases. To this end, we analyse, both at the aggregate and disaggregated level, the average real wage increases in 28 industries using data from the Structure and Distribution of Earnings Survey. Together with data from the National Social Security Office, this survey offers detailed information on wages and on a large number of labour force characteristics. Our analysis is mainly based on the wage decomposition method introduced by Oaxaca (1973) and Blinder (1973).
Our results reveal substantial composition effects during the period under review, both at the aggregate level and within individual industries. Composition effects play a decisive role in the wage increases of white collar workers, but their contribution is on average negative and considerably smaller for blue collar workers. At the aggregate level, the increase in the average age of employees and in their education level and the growing number of certain better paid professional categories have contributed the most to the wage increases during that period. On the other hand, the sectoral distribution of employment, the expansion of part-time work and the higher participation rate of women in the labour market have, though to a lesser extent, brought about wage decreases.
Belgium is characterised by one of the lowest employment rates of elderly workers in the European Union. Since 1997, attempts have been made to discourage elderly workers from leaving the labour market before the age of 65. In particular, two measures aimed at reducing early retirement have been introduced. The first extends the number of career years required to enter early retirement. The second, called "pension bonus", financially stimulates elderly workers to pursue employment after the age of 62. This paper provides an ex-post evaluation of the impact of these two measures on the probability of remaining employed a year later using a difference-in-differences strategy. Our data consists of individual longitudinal employment data covering the period 2000-2009. Using panel data logit models, we find first that the extension of the career length requirement had a significant impact on the probability of staying employed a year later for blue collar and low income white collar male workers aged 60-61 compared to those aged 62-64 during the period 2000-2006. Our second exercise proceeds to estimate the impact of the "pension bonus" during the period 2004-2009, in the presence of the extension of the career length requirement. Comparing the two exercises allows us to conclude that the "pension bonus" had, if any, a very limited impact on the probability of staying employed a year later for male workers aged 62-64 compared to those aged 60-61.
This study attempts to measure the impact of industry-level wage bargaining on individual wages in Belgium. The results indicate that industry wage bargaining increases decided collectively at the industry level are, on average, fully passed on to actual wages. Moreover, industry wage bargaining seems to coexist along with a wage drift affected by company size, the economic performance of the industry and labour market tensions.
La Belgique se caractérise par un système relativement centralisé de formation des salaires, au sens où le niveau sectoriel, accompagné d’un encadrement macroéconomique, joue un rôle privilégié dans la détermination des salaires. Dans cette étude, nous essayons de quantifier empiriquement l’impact de la négociation sectorielle sur la formation des salaires individuels. Pour ce faire, nous mettons en relation le salaire brut nominal et une mesure de l’évolution du salaire conventionnel nominal. L’indice du salaire conventionnel utilisé suit les hausses barémiques moyennes octroyées au sein de chaque commission paritaire, hormis les évolutions structurelles de la population salariée en emploi. Par conséquent, nous complétons notre analyse en introduisant des variables qui tiennent compte de caractéristiques du travailleur, de son employeur et du secteur d’activité. Nous contrôlons également pour d’éventuelles tensions sur le marché du travail et nous examinons l’impact des politiques de réduction de cotisations patronales et personnelles sur le salaire brut individuel. Comme attendu, nos résultats montrent que la négociation sectorielle a un impact statistiquement significatif et proche de l’unité sur la formation des salaires effectifs. Par ailleurs, nos résultats font apparaître que la négociation sectorielle coexiste avec une dérive salariale présente au niveau de l’entreprise qui est sensible, d’une part, à la taille de l’entreprise et aux performances économiques du secteur, et d’autre part, aux tensions sur le marché du travail. En ce qui concerne les politiques de réduction de cotisations, celles-ci auraient un impact principalement sur le salaire brut des hommes employés.
Dans cette étude, nous nous penchons sur les répercussions micro-économiques de certains programmes pour l’emploi. Les mesures examinées visent à mieux intégrer certaines catégories de travailleurs rencontrant des difficultés sur le marché du travail. Ces dispositifs sont actuellement inclus dans les exercices macro-économiques réalisés au sein du Bureau fédéral du Plan. Cependant, et contrairement à l’analyse macro-économique, l’approche micro vise à appréhender l’impact de ces mesures sur la trajectoire des bénéficiaires eux-mêmes. La présente étude a donc comme objectif d’étendre la connaissance de ces dispositifs à l’aide de données longitudinales.
Information and communication technology (ict) has become a significant economic activity in most industrialized countries as well as an important engine of innovation and changes in the rest of the economy. It has been recognized as one of the key factors boosting productivity growth and hence business sector competitiveness. Various initiatives have been recently adopted at regional, national and European levels in order to meet quickly the new challenges of ict use and diffusion in Europe. A growing number of indicators are now available in order to assess the position of each country or region in terms of ict development and to guide policy decisions in that field. The aim of this report is to provide a clear and succinct view of the relative development of ict in Belgium by analyzing both the production and the diffusion of ict in our economy and to highlight the main weaknesses and strengths of the Belgian economy in that area.