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Is the U.S. Labor Market Really That Exceptional? A Review of Richard Freeman

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  • Stephen Nickell

Abstract

America Works is a splendid book and Richard Freeman is to be congratulated on producing a work that sets out what is right and what is wrong with the U.S. labor market while being a joy to read. While I am generally sympathetic to both the analysis and the conclusions, there are a number of points of disagreement that I highlight in this review. In particular, I would add to his policy recommendations by taking a gamble and enacting a law that entitled all employees in the United States to four weeks paid holiday per year in addition to public holidays. This may transform summertime in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Nickell, 2008. "Is the U.S. Labor Market Really That Exceptional? A Review of Richard Freeman," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 384-395, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:46:y:2008:i:2:p:384-95
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.46.2.384
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Conway & Véronique Janod & Giuseppe Nicoletti, 2005. "Product Market Regulation in OECD Countries: 1998 to 2003," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 419, OECD Publishing.
    2. Alberto Alesina & Edward Glaeser & Bruce Sacerdote, 2005. "Work and Leisure in the U. S. and Europe: Why so Different?," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2068, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    3. Samuel Bowles & Yongjin Park, 2005. "Emulation, Inequality, and Work Hours: Was Thorsten Veblen Right?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(507), pages 397-412, November.
    4. Michael C Burda & Daniel S Hamermesh & Philippe Weil, 2006. "Different but Equal: Total Work, Gender and Social Norms in the EU and US Time Use," Post-Print hal-01053588, HAL.
    5. Stephen Nickell, 2004. "Poverty And Worklessness In Britain," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(494), pages 1-25, March.
    6. Michael Förster & Mark Pearson, 2003. "Income Distribution and Poverty in the OECD Area: Trends and Driving Forces," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2002(1), pages 7-38.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ana Rute Cardoso & Daniel S. Hamermesh & José Varejao, 2012. "The Timing of Labor Demand," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 105-106, pages 15-34.
    3. Kawaguchi, Daiji & Lee, Jungmin & Hamermesh, Daniel S., 2013. "A gift of time," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 205-216.
    4. Milan Zafirovski, 2022. "Some dilemmas of economic democracy: Indicators and empirical analysis," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(1), pages 252-302, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General

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