Fixed-term contracts (FTCs), an important feature of the employment relationship of the peripheral workforce, are analysed to test the following two hypotheses, which are based on dual labour market theory: (i) Firms use FTCs for the peripheral workforce to adjust the level of employment to the...

The paper evaluates the treatment effects of the wage subsidy program in Hamburg with propensity score matching as well as linear regressions. It is found that the estimated treatment effects differ only slightly between both methods. When analysing heterogeneous treatment effects, however,...

Human capital and deferred compensation might explain why firms employ but do not hire older workers. Adjustments of wage-tenure profiles for older new entrants are explored in the context of deferred compensation. From an equity theory perspective, such adjustments might lead to adverse...