A Study of Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity in Korea

This paper examines downward nominal wage rigidity in Korea using aggregate and individual-level data. We find that the degree of downward nominal wage rigidity differs depending on the data sources used. Results from the aggregate data indicate that, on average, wages have been flexible. By contrast, evidence from the micro data suggests that nominal wages are downwardly rigid most of the time. We also find that downward nominal wage rigidity can differ across industries at both industry and individual levels. At the individual level, wage rigidity is greater in the service than in the manufacturing sector, even though the latter exhibits smaller volatility in its rate of wage growth.