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Effects of Firm Size and Business Cycle on Earning Losses of Displaced Workers

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  • Oliver Ruf

Abstract

This paper analyzes labor market success of workers who are displaced in boom versus recession periods. Moreover, the empirical analysis contrasts workers from small firms and large firms. The idea is that displacement carries no information about workers' productivity in large firms but is a signal of low productivity in small firms. This signal is stronger when the plant closure occurs in a boom period than in a recession period. Results indicate that the (i) state of the business cycle is important for influence the effect of displacement on labor market success and (ii) the effect differs by the size of the firm. In large firms, displaced workers suffer from larger earning losses when displacement occurs in recession compared to boom, the opposite result is found for workers displaced from small firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Ruf, 2008. "Effects of Firm Size and Business Cycle on Earning Losses of Displaced Workers," IEW - Working Papers 366, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:zur:iewwpx:366
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    File URL: https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/52320/1/iewwp366.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Displaced workers; wage losses; business cycle; size of the firm;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • 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

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