Abstract
In this paper we propose an alternative method for investigating the sources behind the behavior of real wages and unemployment. The statistical model we study is a certain structural error correction model, a so called common trends model, which has become popular in the empirical growth/business cycle literature. The system consists of real output, employment, unemployment and the product real wage and two exogenous stochastic variables, a tax wedge and a currency basket index. Based on quarterly Swedish data (1965-90) we find evidence supporting a short run but not a medium or long run relation.