This paper examines the role of international openness on the change of firm productivity in Southeastern Europe (SEE). This is a crucial question for middel income countries. Using firm-level date for six transition economies over the period 1994-2002, we identify whether foreign ownership and...

We analyse the role of geographic distance for bilateral remittances. We use a new data set on bilateral remittance flows from OECD countries to Romania over the period 2005-2009. Contrasting with existing literature, we find that remittances increase with distance but in a non-linear way.

Does formal contracting foster cooperation in a buyer-supplier relationship? In line with the literature, we find that a renegotiable contract with relationshipspecific joint investments does not make it possible to reach the first-best. However, we show that a renegotiable contract may...

In this paper, we study the optimal unemployment benefits financing scheme when the economy is subject to labor market imperfections characterized by real wage rigidities and search frictions. The US unemployment insurance financing is such that firms are taxed proportionately to their...

In this paper we study, in a DSGE model, the properties of an optimal financing scheme for unemployment benefits in a rigid, and in a flexible labor market. Taking inspiration from the US unemployment insurance system, we ask if firms should be taxed in proportion to their layoffs to finance the...