years in case of unfair dismissal. We show, relying on data, that this regulation entails a hike in severance payments at … about four times higher than the expected severance payments at two years of seniority. Counterfactual exercises show that … the fragility of low-seniority jobs implies that layoff costs reduce the average job duration and increase unemployment …

In Europe, as in the rest of industrialized countries, reforms of the labour market have generally concerned employment …

their advantage with respect to less productive firms, in terms of both employment growth and probability to survive, in …

Since 2003, the French unemployment insurance system provides downside insurance to eligible unemployed workers who … decide to start a business. We evaluate how this policy change affects entry into self-employment. The reform significantly … employment growth, productivity, and survival rates are similar to entrants pre-reform. New entrepreneurs are also similar in …