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Flexicurity and Job Reallocation

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  • Christian Keuschnigg
  • Thomas Davoine

Abstract

This paper develops a general equilibrium model with safe and risky jobs where unemployment is concentrated in a highly productive but volatile sector. Frictional unemployment arises in the process of job creation, firing and retraining for alternative employment. The paper derives an optimal welfare policy which combines the design of the tax schedule with three pillars of the `flexicurity' model. The optimal policy is characterized by (i) a progressive wage tax schedule; (ii) a wage subsidy to re-employed workers; (iii) unemployment insurance benefits; (iv) job protection to contain firing; and (v) active labor market policy to facilitate labor reallocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Keuschnigg & Thomas Davoine, 2010. "Flexicurity and Job Reallocation," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-11, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    • Handle: RePEc:usg:dp2010:2010-11
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Oliver Falck & Siegfried Schönherr, 2016. "An Economic Reform Agenda for Croatia: a comprehensive economic reform package prepared for the Croatian Statehood Foundation," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 70, September.
    2. Torben Andersen, 2012. "A Flexicurity Labour Market in the Great Recession: The Case of Denmark," De Economist, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 117-140, June.
    3. Davoine, Thomas, 2015. "A theoretical rationale for flexicurity policies based on education," Economics Series 311, Institute for Advanced Studies.
    4. Torben M. Andersen, 2016. "Incentives versus insurance in the design of tax-financed unemployment insurance," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 12(2), pages 127-150, June.
    5. Andersen, Torben M, 2010. "Incentive and Insurance Effects of Tax Financed Unemployment Insurance," CEPR Discussion Papers 8025, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Keuschnigg, Christian, 2011. "Intra- und intergenerative Gerechtigkeit in der Finanzpolitik," Economics Working Paper Series 1137, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Flexicurity; insurance; job protection; active labor market policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
    • H30 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - General

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