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Job stability trends, layoffs and quits: An empirical analysis for West Germany

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  • Bergemann, Annette
  • Mertens, Antje

Abstract

This paper studies signs and reasons of decline of job stability in West Germany. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel 1984-1997, we look at two measures for job stability. Based on repeated cross sectional data we first show that medium elapsed tenure declined for men. Secondly, we find that the measure of completed job duration can efficiently be used, to distinguish reasons for job termination and to surpass the problem of right censoring. Estimating hazard models with competing risks, we show that the decline in job stability of men can be attributed primarily to an increase in layoffs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bergemann, Annette & Mertens, Antje, 2000. "Job stability trends, layoffs and quits: An empirical analysis for West Germany," SFB 373 Discussion Papers 2001,102, Humboldt University of Berlin, Interdisciplinary Research Project 373: Quantification and Simulation of Economic Processes.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb373:2001102
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    Cited by:

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    3. Shabbar Jaffry & Yaseen Ghulam & Alexandros Apostolakis, 2010. "Analysing Quits And Separations From The Royal Navy," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 207-228.
    4. Dlugosz, Stephan & Mammen, Enno & Wilke, Ralf A., 2017. "Generalized partially linear regression with misclassified data and an application to labour market transitions," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 145-159.
    5. Dlugosz, Stephan & Mammen, Enno & Wilke, Ralf A., 2015. "Generalised partially linear regression with misclassified data and an application to labour market transitions," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-043, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Boockmann, Bernhard & Steffes, Susanne, 2005. "Individual and Plant-level Determinants of Job Durations in Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 05-89, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Matouschek, Niko & Ramezzana, Paolo & Robert-Nicoud, Frédéric, 2004. "Labour Market Frictions, Job Insecurity and the Flexibility of the Employment Relationship," CEPR Discussion Papers 4193, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2008. "Fixed-term contracts as sorting mechanisms: Evidence from job durations in West Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 984-1005, October.
    9. Niko Matouschek & Paolo Ramezzana, 2004. "Labor Market Frictions, Job Insecurity, and the Flexibility of the Employment Relationship," Econometric Society 2004 North American Summer Meetings 28, Econometric Society.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor mobility; duration analysis; Job stability; layoffs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies

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