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Matching Inefficiencies, Regional Disparities, and Unemployment

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  • Sanna‐Mari Hynninen
  • Aki Kangasharju
  • Jaakko Pehkonen

Abstract

. In this paper we apply a stochastic frontier approach to examine how matching inefficiencies and regional disparities in structural factors contribute to regional and aggregate unemployment. Our results suggest that there would be a substantial decline in aggregate unemployment if (i) all local labour offices operated with full efficiency or (ii) they shared the same structure of job seekers and vacant jobs as the most favourable office. In the former case an increase in hirings would lower the average unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points. In the latter case the decrease would be 1.4 percentage points. Further, we find that fixed effects are positively correlated with both a more favourable structure and higher efficiency. This suggests that the fixed effects may capture some part of time‐invariant features in the structure and inefficiency. Thus, the role of structural factors and inefficiency in regional unemployment disparities may be higher than estimated.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanna‐Mari Hynninen & Aki Kangasharju & Jaakko Pehkonen, 2009. "Matching Inefficiencies, Regional Disparities, and Unemployment," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 23(3), pages 481-506, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:23:y:2009:i:3:p:481-506
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9914.2009.00460.x
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    2. Korkeamäki, Ossi, 2011. "The Finnish payroll tax cut experiment revisited," Working Papers 22, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Ossi Korkeamäki & Tomi Kyyrä, 2012. "Institutional rules, labour demand and retirement through disability programme participation," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(2), pages 439-468, January.
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    5. Iva Tomić, 2014. "Regional matching (in)efficiency on the Croatian labour market," Acta Oeconomica, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 64(3), pages 287-312, September.
    6. Michael Weber, 2016. "The short-run and long-run effects of decentralizing public employment services," ifo Working Paper Series 209, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.

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    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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