According to the aims of the labour market reforms of the 90s implemented in many European countries, workers may stay at their first job for a shorter time, but should be able to switch jobs easily. This would generate a trade-off between job opportunities and job stability. This paper...

Unemployment is at a low and stable level in Denmark. This achievement is often attributed to the so-called flexicurity model combining flexible hiring and firing rules for employers with income security for employees. Whatever virtues this model may have, a low and stable unemployment rate is...

In den letzten Jahren hat sich eine unified theory aus der Arbeitsökonomik heraus-gebildet, in der die Meinung vorherrscht, dass die Kombination makroökonomi- scher Schocks und flexibler Arbeitsmarktinstitutionen in den USA eine starke Zu-nahme der Lohnungleichheit verursacht habe, während...

Die wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Krise in der Bundesrepublik wird nicht „am runden Tisch" auf höchster Ebene überwunden. Hier einigt man sich allenfalls auf den „kleinsten gemeinsamen Nenner". Nötig ist eine tiefgreifende institutionelle Reform. Beim Urteil über institutionelle...

Germany and France are both Continental European welfare states with severe labor market problems such as low employment and high and persistent unemployment which can be explained by labor market institutions that inhibit labor market adaptability. This paper analyzes recent reforms in core...

I review theories and evidence on labor market policies and institutions in an international context. These include collective bargaining, minimum wages, employment protection laws, unemployment insurance (UI), mandated parental leave, and active labor market policies. Scandinavia and Central...

Job insecurity causes far reaching negative outcomes. The fear of job loss damages the health of employees and reduces the productivity of firms. Thus, job insecurity should result in increasing social costs. Analyzing representative data from 17 European countries, this paper investigates self...

High rates of unemployment entail substantial costs to the working population in terms of reduced subjective well-being. This paper studies the importance of individual economic security, in particular job security, in workers' well-being by exploiting sector-specific institutional differences...

High rates of unemployment entail substantial costs to the working population in terms of reduced subjective well-being. This paper studies the importance of individual economic security, in particular, job security, in workers' well-being by exploiting sector-specific institutional differences...