Employment Dynamics and the Structure of Labor Adjustment Costs

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2007
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
Pages: 137-165

Authors (2)

José Varejão (not in RePEc) Pedro Portugal (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

In this article we document the patterns of employment adjustment at the micro level. We find clear evidence of lumpy adjustment consistent with the presence of nonconvexities in the adjustment technology—inaction is pervasive, action spells are short-lived, and extreme adjustment episodes are responsible for a nontrivial share of employment adjustment. We also find that the probability of employment adjustment increases with the duration of inaction. The skill structure of the workforce, the type of employment contract, and the proportion of low-tenure workers, which we interpret as proxies for the magnitude of adjustment costs, all influence the probability of adjustment.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:v:25:y:2007:p:137-165
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29