Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe

The paper tests three hypotheses about the causes of unemployment in the Central-East European transition economies and in a benchmark market economy (Western part of Germany). The first hypothesis (H1) is that unemployment is caused by inefficient...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Munich, Daniel, Svejnar, Jan
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090107090518
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4008
id okr-10986-4008
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ACCESS TO INFORMATION
ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT
ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICY
ACTIVE LABOR
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICIES
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS
ACTIVE LABOUR
ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET
ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICIES
AGGREGATE DEMAND
AGRICULTURE
BENCHMARK
BOND
BUSINESS CYCLES
CENTRAL BANK
COMPLICATIONS
CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE
CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA
DEPRECIATION
DEPRECIATIONS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DISEQUILIBRIUM
ECONOMETRICS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
ECONOMIC TRANSITION
ELASTICITY
EQUILIBRIUM UNEMPLOYMENT
ESTIMATED PARAMETERS
EXCHANGE RATE
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
EXTERNALITIES
FIRM LEVEL
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL SUBSIDIES
FUTURE RESEARCH
GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
HIGH WAGE
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOME
INCREASING RETURNS
INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE
INEFFICIENCY
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
JOB CREATION
JOB DESTRUCTION
JOB SEARCH
JOB SHIFTS
JOB VACANCIES
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION
LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS
LABOR MARKET INDICATORS
LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS
LABOR MARKET TURNOVER
LABOR MARKETS
LABOR MOBILITY
LABOR OFFICE
LABOR TURNOVER
LABOUR
LABOUR FORCE
LABOUR MARKET
LABOUR MARKETS
LABOUR OFFICE
LOW INTEREST RATES
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
MACROECONOMIC POLICIES
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET ECONOMY
MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA
NATIONAL COUNCIL
NATURAL GAS
NEW JOBS
OPEN UNEMPLOYMENT
OPTIMIZATION
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POPULATION SETTLEMENTS
POSITIVE EXTERNALITY
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROBABILITIES
PROBABILITY
PROGRESS
PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
RECESSION
REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
RESPECT
RISING UNEMPLOYMENT
SAFETY
SAFETY NET
SCALE EFFECT
SCALE EFFECTS
SERVICE SECTOR
SKILL GROUPS
SOCIAL POLICIES
STOCKS
STRUCTURAL CHANGE
TRAINING PROGRAMS
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT DURATION
UNEMPLOYMENT EQUILIBRIUM
UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOME
UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
VALUABLE
WAGE LEVEL
WORKER
WORKERS
spellingShingle ACCESS TO INFORMATION
ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT
ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICY
ACTIVE LABOR
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICIES
ACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS
ACTIVE LABOUR
ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET
ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICIES
AGGREGATE DEMAND
AGRICULTURE
BENCHMARK
BOND
BUSINESS CYCLES
CENTRAL BANK
COMPLICATIONS
CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE
CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA
DEPRECIATION
DEPRECIATIONS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DISEQUILIBRIUM
ECONOMETRICS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
ECONOMIC TRANSITION
ELASTICITY
EQUILIBRIUM UNEMPLOYMENT
ESTIMATED PARAMETERS
EXCHANGE RATE
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
EXTERNALITIES
FIRM LEVEL
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL SUBSIDIES
FUTURE RESEARCH
GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
HIGH WAGE
HUMAN CAPITAL
INCOME
INCREASING RETURNS
INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE
INEFFICIENCY
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
JOB CREATION
JOB DESTRUCTION
JOB SEARCH
JOB SHIFTS
JOB VACANCIES
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION
LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS
LABOR MARKET INDICATORS
LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS
LABOR MARKET TURNOVER
LABOR MARKETS
LABOR MOBILITY
LABOR OFFICE
LABOR TURNOVER
LABOUR
LABOUR FORCE
LABOUR MARKET
LABOUR MARKETS
LABOUR OFFICE
LOW INTEREST RATES
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT
LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
MACROECONOMIC POLICIES
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET ECONOMY
MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA
NATIONAL COUNCIL
NATURAL GAS
NEW JOBS
OPEN UNEMPLOYMENT
OPTIMIZATION
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
POLICY RESEARCH
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POPULATION SETTLEMENTS
POSITIVE EXTERNALITY
PRIVATE SECTOR
PROBABILITIES
PROBABILITY
PROGRESS
PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
RECESSION
REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
RESPECT
RISING UNEMPLOYMENT
SAFETY
SAFETY NET
SCALE EFFECT
SCALE EFFECTS
SERVICE SECTOR
SKILL GROUPS
SOCIAL POLICIES
STOCKS
STRUCTURAL CHANGE
TRAINING PROGRAMS
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT DURATION
UNEMPLOYMENT EQUILIBRIUM
UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOME
UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
VALUABLE
WAGE LEVEL
WORKER
WORKERS
Munich, Daniel
Svejnar, Jan
Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
geographic_facet Europe and Central Asia
Europe and Central Asia
relation Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 4810
description The paper tests three hypotheses about the causes of unemployment in the Central-East European transition economies and in a benchmark market economy (Western part of Germany). The first hypothesis (H1) is that unemployment is caused by inefficient matching. Hypothesis 2 (H2) is that unemployment is caused by low demand. Hypothesis 3 (H3) is that restructuring is at work. Our estimates suggest that the west and east German parts of Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia are consistent with H2 and H3. Hungary provides limited support to all three hypotheses. Poland is consistent with H1. The economies in question hence contain one broad group of countries and one or two special cases. The group comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and (possibly) East Germany. These countries resemble West Germany in that they display increasing returns to scale in matching and unemployment appears to be driven by restructuring and low demand. The East German case is complex because of its major active labor market policies and a negative trend in efficiency in matching. In some sense, East Germany resembles more Poland, which in addition to restructuring and low demand for labor appears to suffer from a structural mismatch reflected in relatively low returns to scale in matching. Finally, our data provide evidence that goes counter to one of the main predictions of the theories of transition, namely that the turnover (inflow) rate in the transition countries would rise dramatically at the start of the transition, be temporarily very high and gradually decline and approach the level observed in otherwise similar market economies such as West Germany.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Munich, Daniel
Svejnar, Jan
author_facet Munich, Daniel
Svejnar, Jan
author_sort Munich, Daniel
title Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
title_short Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
title_full Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
title_fullStr Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
title_full_unstemmed Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe
title_sort unemployment and worker-firm matching : theory and evidence from east and west europe
publishDate 2012
url http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090107090518
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4008
_version_ 1764389463862018048
spelling okr-10986-40082021-04-23T14:02:14Z Unemployment and Worker-Firm Matching : Theory and Evidence from East and West Europe Munich, Daniel Svejnar, Jan ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT POLICY ACTIVE LABOR ACTIVE LABOR MARKET ACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICIES ACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS ACTIVE LABOUR ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET ACTIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICIES AGGREGATE DEMAND AGRICULTURE BENCHMARK BOND BUSINESS CYCLES CENTRAL BANK COMPLICATIONS CONSTANT RETURNS TO SCALE CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA DEPRECIATION DEPRECIATIONS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DISEQUILIBRIUM ECONOMETRICS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC STRUCTURES ECONOMIC TRANSITION ELASTICITY EQUILIBRIUM UNEMPLOYMENT ESTIMATED PARAMETERS EXCHANGE RATE EXTERNAL SHOCKS EXTERNALITIES FIRM LEVEL FISCAL DEFICITS FISCAL SUBSIDIES FUTURE RESEARCH GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HIGH WAGE HUMAN CAPITAL INCOME INCREASING RETURNS INCREASING RETURNS TO SCALE INEFFICIENCY INTEREST RATE INTEREST RATES JOB CREATION JOB DESTRUCTION JOB SEARCH JOB SHIFTS JOB VACANCIES JOBS LABOR FORCE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS LABOR MARKET INDICATORS LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS LABOR MARKET TURNOVER LABOR MARKETS LABOR MOBILITY LABOR OFFICE LABOR TURNOVER LABOUR LABOUR FORCE LABOUR MARKET LABOUR MARKETS LABOUR OFFICE LOW INTEREST RATES LOW UNEMPLOYMENT LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE MACROECONOMIC POLICIES MARKET ECONOMIES MARKET ECONOMY MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA NATIONAL COUNCIL NATURAL GAS NEW JOBS OPEN UNEMPLOYMENT OPTIMIZATION POLICY DISCUSSIONS POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL ECONOMY POPULATION SETTLEMENTS POSITIVE EXTERNALITY PRIVATE SECTOR PROBABILITIES PROBABILITY PROGRESS PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT RECESSION REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RESPECT RISING UNEMPLOYMENT SAFETY SAFETY NET SCALE EFFECT SCALE EFFECTS SERVICE SECTOR SKILL GROUPS SOCIAL POLICIES STOCKS STRUCTURAL CHANGE TRAINING PROGRAMS TRANSITION ECONOMIES UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT UNEMPLOYMENT DURATION UNEMPLOYMENT EQUILIBRIUM UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOME UNEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM UNEMPLOYMENT RATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES VALUABLE WAGE LEVEL WORKER WORKERS The paper tests three hypotheses about the causes of unemployment in the Central-East European transition economies and in a benchmark market economy (Western part of Germany). The first hypothesis (H1) is that unemployment is caused by inefficient matching. Hypothesis 2 (H2) is that unemployment is caused by low demand. Hypothesis 3 (H3) is that restructuring is at work. Our estimates suggest that the west and east German parts of Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia are consistent with H2 and H3. Hungary provides limited support to all three hypotheses. Poland is consistent with H1. The economies in question hence contain one broad group of countries and one or two special cases. The group comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and (possibly) East Germany. These countries resemble West Germany in that they display increasing returns to scale in matching and unemployment appears to be driven by restructuring and low demand. The East German case is complex because of its major active labor market policies and a negative trend in efficiency in matching. In some sense, East Germany resembles more Poland, which in addition to restructuring and low demand for labor appears to suffer from a structural mismatch reflected in relatively low returns to scale in matching. Finally, our data provide evidence that goes counter to one of the main predictions of the theories of transition, namely that the turnover (inflow) rate in the transition countries would rise dramatically at the start of the transition, be temporarily very high and gradually decline and approach the level observed in otherwise similar market economies such as West Germany. 2012-03-19T19:08:12Z 2012-03-19T19:08:12Z 2009-01-01 http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090107090518 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4008 English Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 4810 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Europe and Central Asia Europe and Central Asia