The Relationship Between Wages and the Capital-Labor Ratio: Finnish Evidence on the Production Function

Abstract

In this paper, a positive empirical relationship between wages and the capital-labor share is established using Finnish manufacturing data. This relationship is consistent with a modeling approach for the Finnish economy that assumes a CES production function and imperfections in both product and labor markets. The popular Cobb-Douglas production function is inconsistent with the observed relationship. Moreover, the estimations are consistent with an elasticity of substitution above one. The results are further strengthened by a positive relationship between unemployment and the capital-labor share through its effect on the wage rate. The estimations also provide insights into the processes determining the output-labor ratio, capital-labor ratio and investments.