Empirical evidence suggests the existence of a negative relationship between rigidities on the labor market and the level of economic activity. In this paper, we provide a background of this evidence. We build a model where the employed worker chooses the optimal level of firing costs by...

We provide a theoretical microfoundation for the negative relationship between firing costs and labor market tightness and its effects on labor market performance. The optimal level of firing costs is chosen by the employed worker -- i.e. the insider -- by maximizing her human capital....

In this paper we investigate the changes in the Italian economy over the last two decades. Stylized facts show a marked decrease in the unemployment rate starting from the end of the Nineties, and, at the same time, a significant increase in the firms' market power. Moreover, notwithstanding the...

We use a matching framework to explore the hypothesis that firing costs are a decreasing function of labor market tightness. Conventional wisdom suggests that differences in employment protection legislation (EPL) cause differences in labor market performance. Our hypothesis suggests a reverse...