We analyze three related but distinct concepts concerning the renminbi’s role in the globalmonetary system: (i) “internationalization” of the currency; (ii) currency convertibility; and (iii)reserve currency status. Their sequencing in relation to other policy goals such as financialsector...

Standard search models are unreliable for structural inference of the underlying sources ofwage inequality because they are inconsistent with observed residual wage dispersion. Weaddress this issue by modeling skill development and duration dependence in unemploymentbenefits in a random on the...

This paper analyzes data from a novel field experiment designed to test the impact of twodifferent insurance products and a secret saving device on solidarity in risk-sharing groupsamong rural villagers in the Philippines. Risk is simulated by a lottery. Risk-sharing ispossible in solidarity...

We provide an overview of the growing literature that uses micro-level data from multiplecountries to investigate health outcomes, and their link to socioeconomic factors, at olderages. Since the data are at a comparatively young stage, much of the analysis is at an earlystage and limited to a...

In this paper, we investigate the long-run effects of World War II on socio-economic status(SES) and health of older individuals in Europe. Physical and psychological childhood eventsare important predictors for labor market and health outcomes in adult life, but studies thatquantify these...

Firms select not only how many, but also which workers to hire. Yet, in standard searchmodels of the labor market, all workers have the same probability of being hired. We arguethat selective hiring crucially affects welfare analysis. Our model is isomorphic to a searchmodel under random hiring...

This paper critically discusses the theoretical and empirical literature on the quantitative andqualitative employment impact of technological change, compares the relative explanatorypower of the competing theories, and explains in detail the macro and micro evidence on theissue, with reference...

We study entrepreneurs’ start-up financing from banks and local financiers. An informalnetwork, whose membership cannot be observed by outsiders, conveys the good signals itgets about the hidden types of network entrepreneurs to local financiers, which are thenreflected in different loan...

The Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and ensuing government crackdown affectedChinese nationals not only at home but around the world. The U.S. government responded tothe events in China by enacting multiple measures to protect Chinese nationals present inthe U.S. It first suspended all forced...

This paper addresses the question to which extent the complementarity between educationand training can be attributed to differences in observable characteristics, i.e. to individual,job and firm specific characteristics. The novelty of this paper is to analyze previouslyunconsidered...