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Search, mismatch and unemployment

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  • Blázquez, Maite
  • Jansen, Marcel

Abstract

This paper explores the efficiency of the equilibrium allocation in a matching model with heterogeneous workers and jobs. In the basic setup there are two types of workers with different skill levels. Both types can perform the simple tasks of unskilled jobs, while the complex tasks of skilled jobs require a high-ability worker. We demonstrate that the equilibrium outcome with random search and ex-post bargaining is never efficient. Under the Hosios condition, the average wage is correct, but bargaining compresses the wage distribution relative to workers' shadow values. This feature distorts the relative profits of jobs, making it too attractive for firms to create skilled jobs. Furthermore, due to the low-skill premium, the high-ability workers may accept too many jobs. Finally, in an extension, we show that the introduction of separate markets for the two types of jobs is not sufficient to guarantee efficiency.

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  • Blázquez, Maite & Jansen, Marcel, 2008. "Search, mismatch and unemployment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 498-526, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:52:y:2008:i:3:p:498-526
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    Cited by:

    1. Federico Ravenna & Carl E. Walsh, 2012. "Screening and Labor Market Flows in a Model with Heterogeneous Workers," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44, pages 31-71, December.
    2. Ferreira Sequeda, Maria & Künn, Annemarie & de Grip, Andries, 2016. "Work-related learning and skill development in Europe: Does initial skill mismatch matter?," Research Memorandum 027, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    3. Auray, Stéphane & Danthine, Samuel, 2010. "Bargaining frictions, labor income taxation, and economic performance," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(6), pages 778-802, August.
    4. Merlino, Luca Paolo, 2016. "Efficient Sorting In Frictional Labor Markets With Two-Sided Heterogeneity," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 95-119, January.
    5. Chéron, Arnaud & Rouland, Bénédicte, 2011. "Endogenous job destructions and the distribution of wages," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 845-852.
    6. Eleftheriou, Konstantinos, 2011. "Efficiency and specialization: A search theoretic approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1-2), pages 229-238, January.
    7. Cysne, Rubens Penha & Turchick, David, 2012. "Equilibrium unemployment-inequality correlation," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 454-469.
    8. Francesc Obiols-Homs & Virginia Sánchez-Marcos, 2015. "Education, Occupation-Mismatch and Unemployment," Working Papers 807, Barcelona School of Economics.
    9. Batyra, Anna & Sneessens, Henri R., 2010. "Selective reductions in labor taxation: Labor market adjustments and macroeconomic performance," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 531-543, July.
    10. Navarro, Lucas, 2011. "Efficiency of two sided investments in an equilibrium unemployment framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 1090-1098, May.
    11. Obiols-Homs, F. & Sánchez-Marcos, V., 2018. "Education outcomes and the labor market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 14-28.
    12. Arnaud Chéron & Jean-Olivier Hairault & François Langot, 2013. "Life-Cycle Equilibrium Unemployment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(4), pages 843-882.
    13. Yip, Chi Man, 2010. "Can't SBTC explain the U.S. wage inequality dynamics?," MPRA Paper 31198, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Zaharieva, Anna, 2013. "Social welfare and wage inequality in search equilibrium with personal contacts," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 107-121.
    15. Richard Holt, 2020. "The Costs of Mismatch," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 298, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    16. Arnaud Chéron & Jean‐Olivier Hairault & François Langot, 2011. "Age‐Dependent Employment Protection," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(557), pages 1477-1504, December.
    17. Gavrel, Frédéric, 2009. "Technical skill bias as a response of firms to unemployment: A matching model with applicant ranking and endogenous skill requirements," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 304-310, June.
    18. Zaharieva, Anna, 2015. "On the Puzzle of Diversification in Social Networks with Occupational Mismatch," Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers 547, Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University.
    19. Belan, Pascal & Carré, Martine & Gregoir, Stéphane, 2010. "Subsidizing low-skilled jobs in a dual labor market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 776-788, October.
    20. Guillaume Wilemme, 2021. "Optimal Taxation to Correct Job Mismatching," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 40, pages 170-197, April.
    21. Jackson, Paul, 2023. "Equilibrium underemployment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    22. Gavrel, Frédéric & Lebon, Isabelle & Rebière, Thérèse, 2012. "Minimum wage, on-the-job search and employment: On the sectoral and aggregate equilibrium effect of the mandatory minimum wage," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 691-699.
    23. Aleksandr Yu. Kokovikhin, 2020. "Skills management in regional economic policy of the OECD and the EU member countries," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 11(5), pages 81-96, November.
    24. Maurício Benegas & Márcio Veras Corrêa, 2020. "Educational supply policies: distortions and labor market performance," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(3), pages 203-239, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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