Collective bargaining and macroeconomic performance.

Summary This thesis investigates the link between collective bargaining structure and macroeconomic performance. Chapters 1 and 2 study collective bargaining systems by considering their interactions with their institutional environment. Chapter 1 analyzes the role of collective bargaining systems on the link between wage growth and the unemployment rate, i.e., the wage Phillips curve, which may have implications for the feasibility of monetary policy objectives. Chapter 2 explores theoretically how the collective bargaining system influences the outcomes of reforms in employment protection legislation. Chapters 3 and 4 study the macroeconomic effect of collective bargaining system reforms. Chapter 3 provides information on the link between collective bargaining decentralization and economic growth. Finally, chapter 4 questions the timing of reforms that aim to change the institution of collective bargaining, analyzing their effects on employment according to the position in the business cycle when they are implemented.