Internal Migration in Sweden: The Effects of Mobility Grants and Regional Labour Market Conditions

The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether variations in mobility grants have affected internal migration in Sweden. The paper also contains an exploration of how changing labour market conditions influence the migratory behaviour of the unemployed in comparison with other individuals. The results indicate that total migration flows respond to changes in labour market conditions in accordance with predictions from economic theory. This finding seems mainly to stem from the migratory behaviour of the unemployed. Furthermore, non-matching migration subsidies at the levels employed are not found to be migration enhancing.     

Labour Mobility in Italy: An Empirical Investigation

ABSTRACT: In this paper the author presents a model of unemployment inflows and outflows for the Italian labour market. The flows that the author attempts to estimate are the unemployment inflows and outflows from and to employment. The aggregate estimation suggests that a crucial role is played by the aggregate demand and wage variables, and by the structural change variable. The paper also presents intersectoral estimations of SURE, which take into consideration the flows between Industry and Services. The results are along the lines of those obtained at the aggregate level. An important factor which should be underlined, however, is the asymmetric pattern of the wage variable in the industrial and services sector.     

Job Tenure,Labour Mobility and Wage Profiles

Abstract. The features and the length of the attachment of workers to firms represent a central aspect of the labour relationship. The length of service is an important determinant of wages and of non-pecuniary benefits; it affects internal mobility in the firm, and insulates workers with long job tenure from unemployment. In this paper it is argued that the traditional “spot” labour market Characterization is difficult to reconcile with the existence of long term employment relationships. A number of alternative theories which predict the existence of an employer-worker attachment proposed, and their implications discussed. The relevance of long term employment relationships is then tested using micro-data for the Italian manufacturing industry. An appropriate methodology for the analysis of the duration of employment is developed. and separate “job tenure” equations for white and blue collar workers are estimated. A higher educational attainment - ceteris paribus- appears to increase the probability of a job separation; conversely, a higher working experience, previous to the current job, tends to reduce it. The effect of firm size is negative, as larger organizations seem to favour longer employment spells. Outside opportunities show a strong positive effect on the probability of separation. Finally, conditional on the current wage, the probability of leaving the job increases with the length of time worked. However, when the unconditional outcome is considered, separation decline with tenure; in this case. it is argued, the wage effect more than outweighs the conditional effect. This result is consistent with the predictions of both “specific” human capital and job matching theories.     

Employment Illusion,Variable Costs of Migration and Labour Mobility

Why is internal migration in Italy so modest despite the presence of high differentials in employment rates? The paper proposes two different explanations. First, since migration is an investment with non-recoverable costs, it depends not only on the current differential between incomes in the two regions but also on expectations about the same differential in the future. Therefore, the existence of a relatively low differential between adult employment rates is a strong disincentive against migration in the presence of static expectations. The second explanation of the phenomenon is based on the role played by the network costs of migration. If they are important, it is evident that the changes and productive reallocations that have characterized the Italian economy in recent years are important in explaining the decline of migration.     

Labour Force Transitions among Married Women in the USA

This paper describes the patterns of labour market transitions for a cohort of married women in the USA drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey and observed between 1968 and 1991. The empirical analysis of labour market movements is motivated by human capital theory augmented by demographic and life-cycle considerations. These movements are investigated by estimating competing risk models of labour force spell duration. The results show that the determinants of spell lengths and the determinants of the reasons for spell terminations vary across labour market states. More importantly, both the labour market state in which an individual is observed over her work cycle and the labour market state to which she moves are relevant in shaping her spell length and her tradeable characteristics in the labour market.     

Trade and Labour Markets: Vertical and Regional Differentiation in Italy

The labour market misfortunes of the less skilled and rapid growth of international trade in manufactured goods with less advanced countries are linked by the paradoxical observation that trade theorists are in the forefront of those denying the importance of trade in income distribution. This paper analyses this conclusion by stressing the importance of vertical differentiation of trade flows and regional differentiation of skills in order to identify labour market effects of trade integration. Vertical and regional differentiation in trade and labour markets are analysed for a country, Italy, where these two elements seem to play a crucial role. The results show a likely displacement effect on unskilled labour due to trade flows with less advanced countries. Given the characteristics of Italian trade and labour markets, a stronger trade‐induced displacement effect on demand for unskilled labour takes place in the North of the country. Thus the vertical differentiation in Italian intra‐industry trade is a warning against understating the effect of trade on labour markets if product heterogeneity is not adequately considered. The regional differentiation of skill intensity is another warning against understating the effect of trade on labour markets whenever cross‐sectoral effects and the change in relative specialization are not adequately considered.     

Matching Inefficiencies,Regional Disparities,and Unemployment

Abstract. In this paper we apply a stochastic frontier approach to examine how matching inefficiencies and regional disparities in structural factors contribute to regional and aggregate unemployment. Our results suggest that there would be a substantial decline in aggregate unemployment if (i) all local labour offices operated with full efficiency or (ii) they shared the same structure of job seekers and vacant jobs as the most favourable office. In the former case an increase in hirings would lower the average unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points. In the latter case the decrease would be 1.4 percentage points. Further, we find that fixed effects are positively correlated with both a more favourable structure and higher efficiency. This suggests that the fixed effects may capture some part of time‐invariant features in the structure and inefficiency. Thus, the role of structural factors and inefficiency in regional unemployment disparities may be higher than estimated.     

Occupational and Locational Substitution: Measuring the Effect of Occupational and Regional Mobility

The paper analyses the effects of occupational and regional mobility on the matching rate using monthly panel data disaggregated at the regional and occupational level. The main contribution of the paper is to measure the effect of substitutability between vacancies in different occupations, and vacancies in different regions on the matching rate. The estimates indicate higher regional mobility in West Germany but higher occupational mobility in East Germany. The results show that if occupations were perfect substitutes, then the number of matches could increase by 5–9 per cent. Perfect regional mobility would increase matchings by 5–15 per cent. It is also shown that partial aggregation causes a downward bias in substitutability estimates.     

Regional Labour Market Matching Functions and Efficiency Analysis

Abstract. Stochastic production frontiers are used for estimating regional matching functions where unemployment outflow is ‘produced’ by the unemployed and vacancies. The frontier is estimated using regional panel data from Finland from 1988 to 1997 and the Battese and Coelli frontier model, where the explanatory factors are included in the inefficiency term. The stochastic frontier matching function has constant returns, whereas in OLS estimation with fixed effects the returns are slightly increasing. Unemployment and vacancies in neighbouring regions have a spillover effect on efficiency. Excess job reallocation in a region deteriorates matching efficiency. The decomposition of total factor productivity change in matching to efficiency change and change in matching technology is also investigated by interpreting the matching frontier as a distance function and using Malmquist indexes. There is a downward trend in the technology, but short‐term variations are dominated by cyclical changes in efficiency.     

Real versus Nominal Convergence: National Labour Markets and the European Integration Process

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the role of national labour market characteristics for the chances of successful transition to EMU in Europe as well as for its viability The conclusions are rather pessimistic Although overlooked by the Maastricht Treaty the need for real convergence (I e convergence of real macroeconomic variables like unemployment) is emphasized as a major condition for success However current labour market characteristics in the EC make it quite unlikely that this condition will be fulfilled We show that the implementation of the Maastricht programme might turn into an obstacle to monetary unification     

中国区域经济差距收敛性的协整检验

本文根据1957-2006年人均实际GDP数据,运用协整检验方法对中国东中西三大地带内和地带间经济增长的收敛性进行了检验,从一个新视角研究了我国的区域经济差距问题。结果发现,我国东部地区内部各省经济差距存在收敛趋势,而中部和西部地区内部的经济差距却不存在收敛趋势,但它们的经济增长在长期都受到三个共同冲击的影响;我国三大经济带之间以及经济带两两之间的经济差距不存在收敛趋势,但三大经济带的经济增长在长期受到两个共同冲击的影响。     

人口迁移的地区代际流动偏好:微观证据与影响机制

本文从人口迁移行为偏好的视角讨论了地区代际流动的重要性。利用中国劳动力动态调查数据库(CLDS),构建了城市层面的父子社会地位代际流动指标,并将其与城市宏观数据和微观数据相匹配,实证检验了地区代际流动对人口迁移行为的影响。结果表明,地区代际流动水平高会降低个体迁出概率,相反代际流动水平低则会对人产生挤出效应。进一步分析发现,这种效应主要发生在家庭社会次序较低但具备社会地位跃升能力的高技能人群中,而来自于高社会次序家庭或者低技能的子辈群体则对代际流动的反应不敏感。机制分析显示,地区收入不平等是代际流动影响人口迁移行为的重要传导机制,而个体迁入高代际流动地区会提高自身代际流动水平是其微观行为动机。在多种稳健性及内生性检验下,上述结论依然稳健。本文结论表明,人口在进行迁移决策时具有地区代际流动偏好,机会公平的发展环境不仅是实现社会公正的现实需要,也是城市吸聚人才、实现高质量发展的内在要求。     

The Changing Informal Labour Market in Brazil: Cyclicality versus Excessive Intervention

Although following an anti-cyclical behaviour over the last decade, Brazil's informal sector seems to have grown recently as a response to excessive government intervention in the productive system. Despite high inflation and sluggish economic performance, Brazil continues to live with low unemployment and only sporadic social unrest. A substantial informal sector is thought to be acting as a cushion to help minimize labour market instability. This paper reviews the main concepts and methodologies proposed in the literature, summarizes the results obtained by different authors, and presents some additional information on the recent informalization of the Brazilian labour markets.     

Labour Mobility in Europe as a Result of Changes in Central and Eastern Europe*

Abstract. International migration of labour has become a burning issue and is on the lips of politicians, social scientists, employers and workers. It has has become a global issue, with national borders becoming less important due to process of economic integration. The issue is very complicated since many factors are involved: unemployment, the stand of trade unions and national movements often opposing more liberal immigration rules, non-adherence of countries to international norms, in particular ILO labour standards. However, there are also gains for both labour-exporting and labour-importing countries. The article tries to trace the history of international norms concerning international migration of labour, as well as to touch upon hard facts accompanying such migration. It is difficult to collect these in a systematic manner, given the dearth of information on the subject, due to its sensitivity. However, the paper provides a variety of contro-versial information which is from the press rather than from official data, and therefore difficult to verify. It is a subject on which considerable prejudice clouds rational debate.     

Regional Dispersion of Industrial Labour Costs in the European Community (1988)

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to present a measure of regional labour costs in manufacturing industry in the European Community in 1988. As raw data, derived from the Eurostat Labour Cost Survey, are strongly dependent on sectoral distribution of employment in each region, a method is presented, based on reweighting techniques and loglinear modelling, to eliminate the composition effect. As a result, a regular geographical pattern does emerge. The same type of technique is then applied to the evolution of regional labour costs between 1984 and 1988; some correlation does appear with regional unemployment levels in the United Kingdom and France, pointing the way towards further research.     

Labour Legislation and Institutional Aspects of the Brazilian Labour Market

Abstract. This paper analyses the structure of the Brazilian Labour Code (CLT), the changes introduced since its approval in 1943, emphasizing the new Federal Constitution of 1988, the costs of labour and of dismissals for employers, the structure of union organizations, the regulation of collective bargaining and capital labour conflicts, and the process of wages determination. We also analyze the evolution of strike activity, and the evolution of wage differentials and functional distribution of income between profits and wages in industry in the last 15 years.     

Labour Economics: History and Theory

Abstract. In recent years, labour economics has been the area of study of most interest to economists, both from the theoretical and practical perspectives. The new field of labour microeconomics and the resultant new approaches that have arisen are a fundamental part of what has recently been called ‘microeconomic foundations’. Despite the newness of this topic, recent developments are in fact the result of phenomena recognized throughout the history of economic thought. This paper begins by analyzing the historical and theoretical origins of labour economics, and provides an overview of labour economics theory during the 1960s. 1970s and 1980s. It goes on to examine the relation between the labour market and technological innovation, and labour policy measures at the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. Finally, it underscores the need for a theoretical construct that sets Keynesian and neoclassical explanations of unemployment in the same framework as demographic, social, institutional, time and economic factors.     

Population Ageing and the Labour Market: Evidence from Italy

Individual data from eight waves of the European Community Household Panel are used to investigate the impact of cohort size on age‐earnings and employment profiles of Italian male workers. Evidence that over the life cycle cohort size depresses employment opportunities of men with low education and earnings and employment rates of men with intermediate and high qualifications born into large cohorts is found. These results are used to carry out a simple simulation where the average future wages of Italian male workers are projected for the next 4.5 decades. According to this simulation, the wages of Italian male workers will follow a hump‐shaped pattern in the next three decades, before slightly increasing again.     

Labour Market Structures,Labour Market Policy and Wage Formation in the OECD

This paper investigates why the incentive to moderate wages in an environment of rising unemployment differs so strongly among the OECD countries. In the first part we develop an insider-outsider bargaining model in which the wage results from a confrontation of the insiders' wage claims and the employer's wage offer. The second part of the paper empirically tests the model's predictions for the determinants of wage flexibility. The degree of centralization of wage bargaining, the extent of active labour market policy and the characteristics of the unemployment benefit system are shown to be relevant determinants.     

Labour Market and Labour Market Policy in the Eastern Part of Germany: New Approaches and New Links to Structural Policy

ABSTRACT: After unification, East German GNP dropped severely, total employment fell to about two thirds of the former level. Long-term labour market prospects remain poor. From the very beginning up to now, labour market policy (short-time work, early retirement schemes, work creation measures, further training and retraining) absorbed much of the surplus labour supply. Regulations were changed to allow for‘“mega-measures” (contrasting the traditional individual approach). A new co-financing model links work-creation measures more closely to regional structural policy. A labour market infrastructure was built up in a short time, including new elements such as‘“employment promotion companies” and‘“reconstruction agents“.