The limits of microeconomic approaches to working time reduction

• Autor(a) principal: Fracalanza, Paulo Sérgio
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Economia (Curitiba. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufpr.br/economia/article/view/12294
• topic: Working time reduction policy; New-Keynesian models; 35 hours week Law; Redução da jornada de trabalho; Modelos Novos-Keynesianos; Lei das 35 horas

This article aims to present some insufficiencies of the New-Keynesian models used to estimate the potential impacts on employment of a working time reduction policy. Firstly, it is presented the main characteristics of the “35 hours week” Law in France, a long historical perspective of the working time reduction process in some capitalistic countries and an understanding of themechanism that clears the way to a reduction of working time. Secondly, it is asserted the main results and the growing interest in the New-Keynesian microeconomic models used to estimate the potential effects on employment of a working time reduction policy. Finally, the last section is dedicated to provide some insights on the insufficiencies of these microeconomic models and to argue that these flaws could obscure the potential benefits of that policy.