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Labor Adjustment: Disentangling Firing and Mobility Costs

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Listed:
  • Luigi Guiso
  • Luigi Pistaferri
  • Fabiano Schivardi

Abstract

This paper studies the costs of adjusting employment, distinguishing between firms’ firing and workers’ mobility costs. We construct a simple dynamic general equilibrium model of labor demand and supply and show that only the joint response of employment and wages to firm level shocks can discriminate between the two types of costs. We use matched employer-employees data for Italy to estimate the model and find that both types of costs are present, that they are sizeable (in the range of 19,000 euros in total) and that firing costs account for almost 90 percent of total adjustment costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Luigi Guiso & Luigi Pistaferri & Fabiano Schivardi, 2007. "Labor Adjustment: Disentangling Firing and Mobility Costs," Economics Working Papers ECO2007/44, European University Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:eui:euiwps:eco2007/44
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Adjustment costs; mobility costs; matched employer-employees data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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