IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/regstd/v49y2015i8p1387-1406.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Houses and/or Jobs: Ownership and the Labour Market in Belgian Districts

Author

Listed:
  • Daan Isebaert
  • Freddy Heylen
  • Carine Smolders

Abstract

I sebaert D., H eylen F. and S molders C. Houses and/or jobs: ownership and the labour market in Belgian districts, Regional Studies . A. J. Oswald argues that high rates of homeownership may imply inferior labour market outcomes. Using a panel of forty-two Belgian districts since the 1970s and accounting for other key determinants of employment, this paper confirms the Oswald hypothesis. A 1 percentage point rise in the rate of ownership in a district implies a statistically significant fall in the employment rate by about 0.35 percentage points. This negative effect declines in the fraction of the high-skilled in a district. The results underscore the importance of controlling for unobserved district-specific fixed effects and common time effects, and of appropriately dealing with endogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • Daan Isebaert & Freddy Heylen & Carine Smolders, 2015. "Houses and/or Jobs: Ownership and the Labour Market in Belgian Districts," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1387-1406, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:49:y:2015:i:8:p:1387-1406
    DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2013.837873
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00343404.2013.837873
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00343404.2013.837873?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jakob Roland Munch & Michael Rosholm & Michael Svarer, 2006. "Are Homeowners Really More Unemployed?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(514), pages 991-1013, October.
    2. Raouf Boucekkine & David de la Croix & Dominique Peeters, 2007. "Early Literacy Achievements, Population Density, and the Transition to Modern Growth," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 5(1), pages 183-226, March.
    3. Layard, Richard & Nickell, Stephen & Jackman, Richard, 2005. "Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199279173.
    4. Harminder Battu & Ada Ma & Euan Phimister, 2008. "Housing Tenure, Job Mobility and Unemployment in the UK," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(527), pages 311-328, March.
    5. Edward L. Glaeser & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2003. "The Benefits of the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 17, pages 37-82, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Carl R. Gwin & Seow‐Eng Ong, 2008. "Do we really understand homeownership rates? An international study," International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(1), pages 52-67, April.
    7. Paul van den Noord, 2005. "Tax Incentives and House Price Volatility in the Euro Area: Theory and Evidence," Economie Internationale, CEPII research center, issue 101, pages 29-45.
    8. Aida Caldera Sánchez & Dan Andrews, 2011. "To Move or not to Move: What Drives Residential Mobility Rates in the OECD?," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 846, OECD Publishing.
    9. Nickell, Stephen & Layard, Richard, 1999. "Labor market institutions and economic performance," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 46, pages 3029-3084, Elsevier.
    10. René Böheim & Mark P. Taylor, 2002. "Tied Down Or Room To Move? Investigating The Relationships Between Housing Tenure, Employment Status And Residential Mobility In Britain," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 49(4), pages 369-392, September.
    11. Richard K. Green & Patric H. Hendershott, 2001. "Home-ownership and Unemployment in the US," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(9), pages 1509-1520, August.
    12. Martin T. Robson, 2003. "Housing Markets And Regional Unemployment Flows In Great Britain," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 71(2), pages 132-155, March.
    13. Nathalie Havet & Carole Brunet, 2009. "Propriété immobilière et déqualifications dans l'emploi," Revue Française d'Économie, Programme National Persée, vol. 24(1), pages 121-155.
    14. Michiel van Leuvensteijn & Pierre Koning, 2006. "The Effect of Home-Ownership on Labour Mobility in the Netherlands," Chapters, in: Julián Messina & Claudio Michelacci & Jarkko Turunen & Gylfi Zoega (ed.), Labour Market Adjustments in Europe, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. David N. DeJong & Beth F. Ingram, 2001. "The Cyclical Behavior of Skill Acquisition," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 4(3), pages 536-561, July.
    16. Marcello Estevào, 2003. "Regional Labor Market Disparities in Belgium," Reflets et perspectives de la vie économique, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 95-114.
    17. Munch, Jakob Roland & Rosholm, Michael & Svarer, Michael, 2008. "Home ownership, job duration, and wages," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 130-145, January.
    18. DiPasquale, Denise & Glaeser, Edward L., 1999. "Incentives and Social Capital: Are Homeowners Better Citizens?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 354-384, March.
    19. Nickell, Stephen, 1998. "Unemployment: Questions and Some Answers," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(448), pages 802-816, May.
    20. Rosen, Harvey S & Rosen, Kenneth T, 1980. "Federal Taxes and Homeownership: Evidence from Time Series," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(1), pages 59-75, February.
    21. Jan Rouwendal & Peter Nijkamp, 2010. "Homeownership and Labour-Market Behaviour: Interpreting the Evidence," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(2), pages 419-433, February.
    22. Dietz, Robert D. & Haurin, Donald R., 2003. "The social and private micro-level consequences of homeownership," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 401-450, November.
    23. Oswald Andrew J., 1996. "A Conjecture on the Explanation for High Unemployment in the Industrialized Nations : Part I," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 475, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    24. Stephen Nickell & Luca Nunziata & Wolfgang Ochel, 2005. "Unemployment in the OECD Since the 1960s. What Do We Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(500), pages 1-27, January.
    25. Hymel, Kent, 2009. "Does traffic congestion reduce employment growth?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 127-135, March.
    26. Olivier Jean Blanchard & Lawrence F. Katz, 1992. "Regional Evolutions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 23(1), pages 1-76.
    27. Dohmen, Thomas J., 2005. "Housing, mobility and unemployment," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 305-325, May.
    28. Douglas Staiger & James H. Stock, 1997. "Instrumental Variables Regression with Weak Instruments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(3), pages 557-586, May.
    29. Rosen, Harvey S., 1979. "Housing decisions and the U.S. income tax : An econometric analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 1-23, February.
    30. Coulson, N. Edward & Fisher, Lynn M., 2009. "Housing tenure and labor market impacts: The search goes on," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 252-264, May.
    31. repec:eee:labchp:v:3:y:1999:i:pc:p:3029-3084 is not listed on IDEAS
    32. Mark Partridge & Dan Rickman, 1997. "The Dispersion of US State Unemployment Rates: The Role of Market and Non-market Equilibrium Factors," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 593-606.
    33. Oliver Lerbs, 2011. "Is there a link between homeownership and unemployment? Evidence from German regional data," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 407-426, December.
    34. Carl R. Gwin & Seow‐Eng Ong, 2008. "Do we really understand homeownership rates? An international study," International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(1), pages 52-67, April.
    35. Henley, Andrew, 1998. "Residential Mobility, Housing Equity and the Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(447), pages 414-427, March.
    36. Engelhardt, Gary V. & Eriksen, Michael D. & Gale, William G. & Mills, Gregory B., 2010. "What are the social benefits of homeownership? Experimental evidence for low-income households," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 249-258, May.
    37. Freddy Heylen & Lorenzo Pozzi, 2007. "Crises and human capital accumulation," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 1261-1285, November.
    38. Boheim, Rene & Taylor, Mark P, 2002. "Tied Down or Rome to Move? Investigating the Relationships between Housing Tenure, Employment Status and Residential Mobility in Britain," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 49(4), pages 369-392, September.
    39. Di Salvo, Pamela & Ermisch, John, 1997. "Analysis of the Dynamics of Housing Tenure Choice in Britain," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 1-17, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Broulíková, Hana M. & Huber, Peter & Montag, Josef & Sunega, Petr, 2020. "Homeownership, mobility, and unemployment: Evidence from housing privatization," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    2. Stijn Baert & Freddy Heylen & Daan Isebaert, 2014. "Does Homeownership Lead to Longer Unemployment Spells? The Role of Mortgage Payments," De Economist, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 263-286, September.
    3. William Cochrane & Jacques Poot, 2020. "Did the post-1986 decline in the homeownership rate benefit the New Zealand labour market? A spatial-econometric exploration," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 261-284, February.
    4. Timo Tohmo & Jutta Viinikainen, 2023. "Home-ownership and unemployment: revisiting the Oswald hypothesis from a regional heterogeneity perspective," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 342-355.
    5. Laamanen, Jani-Petri, 2017. "Home-ownership and the Labour Market: Evidence from Rental Housing Market Deregulation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 157-167.
    6. Peter Huber, 2013. "Labour Market Institutions and Regional Unemployment Disparities. Evidence for Europe. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 29," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 46890, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrea Morescalchi, 2016. "The Puzzle Of Job Search And Housing Tenure: A Reconciliation Of Theory And Empirical Evidence," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 288-312, March.
    2. Yang, Xi, 2019. "The effects of home ownership on post-unemployment wages," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-17.
    3. Gaetano Lisi, 2016. "Mortgage Market, Housing Tenure Choice and Unemployment," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 472-493, November.
    4. Broulíková, Hana M. & Huber, Peter & Montag, Josef & Sunega, Petr, 2020. "Homeownership, mobility, and unemployment: Evidence from housing privatization," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    5. Allen Head & Huw Lloyd-Ellis, 2012. "Housing Liquidity, Mobility, and the Labour Market," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(4), pages 1559-1589.
    6. Guler, Bulent & Taskin, Ahmet Ali, 2018. "Homeownership and unemployment: The effect of market size," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 191-209.
    7. Rodríguez Hernández, José E. & Barrios García, Javier A., 2012. "¿Incide la forma de tenencia de la vivienda habitual sobre la situación de empleo en España?/Does the Housing Tenure Choice Affect the Employment Situation in Spain?," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 30, pages 751(22)-751, Agosto.
    8. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2013. "Does High Home-Ownership Impair the Labor Market?," NBER Working Papers 19079, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Martin Lux & Petr Sunega, 2012. "Labour Mobility and Housing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(3), pages 489-504, February.
    10. William Cochrane & Jacques Poot, 2020. "Did the post-1986 decline in the homeownership rate benefit the New Zealand labour market? A spatial-econometric exploration," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 261-284, February.
    11. Javier A. Barrios Garcia & Jose E. Rodriguez Hernandez, 2004. "User Cost Changes, Unemployment and Home-ownership: Evidence from Spain," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(3), pages 563-578, March.
    12. Engelhardt, Gary V. & Eriksen, Michael D. & Gale, William G. & Mills, Gregory B., 2010. "What are the social benefits of homeownership? Experimental evidence for low-income households," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 249-258, May.
    13. Ch.-M. CHEVALIER & R. LARDEUX, 2017. "Homeownership and labor market outcomes: disentangling externality and composition effects," Documents de Travail de l'Insee - INSEE Working Papers g2017-09, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
    14. Julie Beugnot & Olivier Charlot & Guy Lacroix, 2019. "Does promoting homeownership always damage labour market performances?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 161-183, July.
    15. Vives Coscojuela, Cecilia, 2015. "Geographical mobility and the labour market," IKERLANAK 15485, Universidad del País Vasco - Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico I.
    16. Stijn Baert & Freddy Heylen & Daan Isebaert, 2014. "Does Homeownership Lead to Longer Unemployment Spells? The Role of Mortgage Payments," De Economist, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 263-286, September.
    17. Laamanen, Jani-Petri, 2017. "Home-ownership and the Labour Market: Evidence from Rental Housing Market Deregulation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 157-167.
    18. Nathalie Havet & Carole Brunet, 2009. "Propriété immobilière et déqualifications dans l'emploi," Revue Française d'Économie, Programme National Persée, vol. 24(1), pages 121-155.
    19. Dohmen, Thomas J., 2005. "Housing, mobility and unemployment," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 305-325, May.
    20. Beugnot, Julie & Lacroix, Guy & Charlot, Olivier, 2014. "Homeownership and Labour Market Outcomes: Micro versus Macro Performances," IZA Discussion Papers 8599, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:49:y:2015:i:8:p:1387-1406. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CRES20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.