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They are even larger! More (on) puzzling labor market volatilities

Author

Listed:
  • Gartner, Hermann

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany)

  • Merkl, Christian

    (IZA ; Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

  • Rothe, Thomas

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany)

Abstract

"This paper shows that the German labor market is more volatile than the US labor market at the business cycle frequency. Specifically, the volatility of the cyclical component of several labor market variables (e.g., the job-finding rate, the labor market tightness and vacancies) divided by the volatility of labor productivity is roughly twice as large as in the United States. We derive and simulate a simple model to explain this seemingly puzzling result. This new model provides explanations for this phenomenon, in particular the longer job tenure in Germany." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Suggested Citation

  • Gartner, Hermann & Merkl, Christian & Rothe, Thomas, 2009. "They are even larger! More (on) puzzling labor market volatilities," IAB-Discussion Paper 200912, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    • Handle: RePEc:iab:iabdpa:200912
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Amaral, Pedro S. & Tasci, Murat, 2016. "The cyclical behavior of equilibrium unemployment and vacancies across OECD countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 184-201.
    2. Brown, Alessio J.G. & Merkl, Christian & Snower, Dennis J., 2011. "Comparing the effectiveness of employment subsidies," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 168-179, April.
    3. Carbonero, Francesco & Gartner, Hermann, 2017. "Inspecting the relation of search cost and search duration for new hires," FAU Discussion Papers in Economics 21/2017, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute for Economics.
    4. Lechthaler, Wolfgang & Merkl, Christian & Snower, Dennis J., 2010. "Monetary persistence and the labor market: A new perspective," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 968-983, May.
    5. Michael C. Burda & Mark Weder, 2016. "Payroll Taxes, Social Insurance, And Business Cycles," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 438-467, April.
    6. Gartner, Hermann & Merkl, Christian & Rothe, Thomas, 2012. "Sclerosis and large volatilities: Two sides of the same coin," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 106-109.
    7. Kienzler, Daniel, 2012. "Long-term Unemployment over the Business Cycle, Skill Loss, and Monetary Policy," Working Papers on Finance 1205, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    8. Dennis Wesselbaum, 2015. "Firing costs in a business cycle model with endogenous separations," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(3), pages 499-518, August.
    9. Moritz Kuhn & Philip Jung, 2010. "Labor market rigidity and the transmission of business cycle shocks," 2010 Meeting Papers 595, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. repec:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2010-042 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Wellschmied, Felix Maximilian & Bachmann, Rüdiger & Bayer, Christian & Seth, Stefan, 2013. "Cyclicality of Job and Worker Flows: New Data and a New Set of Stylized Facts," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79874, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Cook, David & Xu, Juanyi, 2015. "Eurosclerosis and international business cycles," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 54-67.
    13. Philip, Jung & Moritz, Kuhn, 2011. "The Era of the U.S.-Europe Labor Market Divide: What can we learn?," MPRA Paper 32322, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Schaffner, Sandra, 2011. "Heterogeneity in the cyclical sensitivity of job-to-job flows," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 43(4), pages 263-275.
    15. Schaffner, Sandra, 2011. "Heterogeneity in the cyclical sensitivity of job-to-job flows," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 43(4), pages 263-275.
    16. Jung, Philip & Kuhn, Moritz, 2011. "Labor Market Rigidity and Business Cycle Volatility," MPRA Paper 48946, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Stüber, Heiko, 2012. "Are real entry wages rigid over the business cycle? : Empirical evidence for Germany from 1977 to 2009," IAB-Discussion Paper 201206, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; USA ; Beschäftigungsdauer ; Beschäftigungsschwankung ; Betriebszugehörigkeit ; institutionelle Faktoren ; internationaler Vergleich ; Konjunkturabhängigkeit ; Kündigung ; labour turnover ; Lohnfindung ; Lohnhöhe ; matching ; offene Stellen ; Produktivitätsentwicklung ; Quote ; Quote ; Arbeitslosenquote ; Arbeitsmarktindikatoren ; Arbeitsproduktivität ; 1977-2004;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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