The Displacement Effect of Labour-Market Programs: Estimates from the MONASH Model

A key question concerning labour-market programs is the extent to which they generate jobs for their target group at the expense of others. This effect is measured by displacement percentages. We describe a version of the MONASH model designed to quantify the effects of labour-market programs. Our simulation results suggests that: (1) labour-market programs can generate significant long-run increases in employment; (2) displacement percentages depend on how a labour-market program affects the income trade-off faced by target and non-target groups between work and non-work; and (3) displacement percentages are larger in the short run than in the long run.