Sangam: A Confluence of Knowledge Streams

Are Specific Skills an Obstacle to Labor Market Adjustment?

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dc.creator Lamo, Ana
dc.creator Messina, Julian
dc.creator Wasmer, Etienne
dc.date 2012-03-30T07:29:06Z
dc.date 2012-03-30T07:29:06Z
dc.date 2011
dc.date.accessioned 2023-02-18T19:44:01Z
dc.date.available 2023-02-18T19:44:01Z
dc.identifier Labour Economics
dc.identifier 09275371
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4660
dc.identifier.uri http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/250136
dc.description This paper shows that specialized education reduces workers' mobility and hence their ability to cope with economic changes. We illustrate this point using labor force data from two countries having experienced important macroeconomic turbulence; a large economy with rigid labor markets, Poland, and a small open economy with increased flexibility, Estonia. We find that holding a vocational degree is associated with much longer unemployment duration spells and higher likelihood of leaving activity for older workers. We then build a theoretical framework in which young agents' careers are heavily determined by the type of initial education, and analyze the transition to a new steady-state after a sectoral demand shift. Quantitative exercises suggest that the over-specialization of the labor force in Poland led to much higher and persistent unemployment compared to Estonia during the period of EU enlargement. Traditional labor market institutions (wage rigidity and employment protection) lead to an increase of the unemployment gap, but to a lesser extent.
dc.language EN
dc.relation http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo
dc.rights World Bank
dc.subject Human Capital
dc.subject Skills
dc.subject Occupational Choice
dc.subject Labor Productivity J240
dc.subject Job, Occupational, and Intergenerational Mobility
dc.subject Promotion J620
dc.subject Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search J640
dc.title Are Specific Skills an Obstacle to Labor Market Adjustment?
dc.type Journal Article
dc.type Journal Article
dc.coverage Poland
dc.coverage Estonia


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