PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

The Short-run Production Effect of the Reduction of Working Hours

Author hung Gi Baek, Wankeun Oh
Date of Publication 2002. 12
No. 2002-38
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Contents Introduction

Korea’s unemployment rate has returned to the pre-financial crisis level of 1997. However, Korean workers still have the longest working hours among OECD countries. Labor unions and the government are pushing for a reduction in legal working hours to improve the quality of life. This paper investigates the short-run production effects of the reduction in legal working hours on the Korean economy by industry using a twostage approach. The short-run production effect on the Korean economy was negative in all industries and manufacturing was most severely affected by the reduction in legal working hours.