Article

 

THE NET SOCIAL WAGE IN GREECE 1958-90 
 
by
 
Christos Kollias, Centre of Planning and Economic Research
Michael Chletsos, Centre of Planning and Economic Research
Thanasis Maniatis, Centre of Planning and Economic Research
 
JEL classification : H530, H550, H290
 
Abstract
The article studies the net effect of state expenditures and revenues on the income of the working population in Greece for the 1958-1990 period as it is expressed by the net social wage. In addition, the relation between the net social wage and unemployment, government deficits, labour strength and economic growth is investigated. For the period of analysis, no significant redistribution of income in favour of the working population has taken place via the fiscal policies of the state even though especially in the last decade we observe an increasing involvement of the government in the reproduction of the working population. Also the positive levels of the net social wage in the few most recent years of the period examined seem to be not an expression of increased labour strength but more a compensation for the adverse developments for labour in the primary distribution of income.