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Microfoundations and macro implications of indivisible labor

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  • Casey B. Mulligan

Abstract

I show that the indivisible labor models of Diamond and Mirrlees (1978, 1986), Hansen (1985), Rogerson (1988), Christiano and Eichenbaum (1992) and many others are, when aggregated across persons with the same marginal utility of income, equivalent to the divisible labor model of Lucas and Rapping (1969); any data on aggregate hours and earnings generated by the divisible (indivisible) model can be generated by some parameterization of the indivisible (divisible) model. The same is true when macro data are obtained by aggregating over time and across people. This equivalence means that the indivisibility of labor per se does not have implications for macroeconomics. Nor does indivisibility have aggregate normative implications.

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  • Casey B. Mulligan, 1998. "Microfoundations and macro implications of indivisible labor," Discussion Paper / Institute for Empirical Macroeconomics 126, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmem:126
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    1. Mulligan Casey B, 2001. "Aggregate Implications of Indivisible Labor," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 1(1), pages 1-35, April.
    2. Casey B. Mulligan, 1999. "Substitution over Time: Another Look at Life-Cycle Labor Supply," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1998, volume 13, pages 75-152, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Antonio García Sánchez & María del Mar Vázquez Méndez, 2005. "The timing of work in a general equilibrium model with shiftwork," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 29(1), pages 149-179, January.
    4. Mulligan, Casey B., 2000. "Can Monopoly Unionism Explain Publicly Induced Retirement?," Working Papers 157, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    5. Parantap Basu & Laura Marsiliani & Thomas I. Renström, 2004. "Optimal Dynamic Taxation with Indivisible Labour," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 72(s1), pages 34-54, September.
    6. Peter Kuhn & Fernando Lozano, 2005. "The Expanding Workweek? Understanding Trends in Long Work Hours Among U.S. Men, 1979-2004," NBER Working Papers 11895, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. John C. Ham & Kevin T. Reilly, 2002. "Testing Intertemporal Substitution, Implicit Contracts, and Hours Restriction Models of the Labor Market Using Micro Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 905-927, September.
    8. Casey B. Mulligan, 2000. "Can Monopoly Unionism Explain Publicly Induced Retirement?," NBER Working Papers 7680, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Fujio Takata, 2018. "The Conditions for Indeterminacy in Two Types of Balanced Budget Rules - Reconsidered," Discussion Papers 1806, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    10. Renström, Thomas I & Basu, Parantap, 2002. "When to Tax Labour?," CEPR Discussion Papers 3456, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Renström, Thomas I & Marsiliani, Laura & Basu, Parantap, 2004. "Optimal Dynamic Taxation with Indivisible Labour," CEPR Discussion Papers 4190, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Fujio Takata, 2020. "The Appearance of Indeterminacy Paths-An Economy with the Balanced Budget Rule and without Depreciation," Discussion Papers 2001, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    13. Peter Kuhn & Fernando Lozano, 2008. "The Expanding Workweek? Understanding Trends in Long Work Hours among U.S. Men, 1979-2006," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 311-343, April.
    14. E. Dominguez & M. Ullibarri & I. Zabaleta, 2011. "Reduction of working hours as a policy of work sharing in the face of an economic crisis," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(7), pages 683-686.

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    Hours of labor; Labor supply;

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