General versus Specific Skills in Labor Markets with Search Frictions and Firing Costs

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2006
Volume: 96
Issue: 3
Pages: 811-831

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

Human capital investments are not independent of the aggregate state of labor markets: frictions and slackness of the labor market raise the returns to specific human capital investments relative to general investments. We build a macroeconomic model with two pure strategy regimes. In the pure G-regime, workers invest in general skills. This occurs when they face high turnover labor markets and in the absence of employment protection. The pure 5-regime in which workers invest in skills specific to their job appears when employment protection is high enough. Implications for a characterization of Europe-United States differences are provided in conclusion. (JEL: J63, J30)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:96:y:2006:i:3:p:811-831
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29