We study the effects of firing costs in unionized economies with heterogeneous workers. We consider an overlapping generations model where workers participate in the labour market both when young and when old. All workers belong to the same union that sets wages unilaterally. We find that at given wages firing costs increase youth unemployment and decrease old-age unemployment. However, once the wage response is considered, firing costs increase both youth and old-age unemployment. Indeed, knowing that when firing costs are higher firms refrain from firing, the union increases the wage of old workers, and, therefore, old-age unemployment increases. Copyright 2008 The Author. Journal compilation 2008 CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Article provided by CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd in its journal LABOUR.
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Gibbons, Robert & Katz, Lawrence F, 1991.
"Layoffs and Lemons,"
Journal of Labor Economics,
University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 351-80, October.
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Robert Gibbons & Lawrence Katz, 1989.
"Layoffs and Lemons,"
Working Papers
629, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
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Gibbons, R. & Katz, L.F., 1989.
"Layoffs And Lemons,"
Working papers
531, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics.
Robert Gibbons & Lawrence Katz, 1991.
"Layoffs and Lemons,"
NBER Working Papers
2968, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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