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Stepping Stones for the Unemployed: The Effect of Temporary Jobs on the Duration until Regular Work

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Author Info
Zijl, Marloes (SEO, University of Amsterdam)
van den Berg, Gerard J. () (Free University of Amsterdam, CEPR, IFAU-Uppsala, Tinbergen Institute and IZA Bonn)
Heyma, Arjan (SEO, University of Amsterdam)

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Abstract

Individual labour market transitions from unemployment into temporary work are often succeeded by a transition from temporary into regular work. We investigate whether temporary work increases the transition rate to regular work. In that case, temporary work may enhance labour market efficiency. We use longitudinal survey data of individuals to estimate a multi-state duration model, applying the ‘timing of events’ approach. To deal with selectivity, the model incorporates transitions from unemployment to temporary jobs and unobserved determinants of the transition rates. The data contain multiple spells in labour market states at the individual level. We analyse the results using novel graphical representations. The results unambiguously show that temporary jobs serve as stepping stones towards regular employment. They shorten the duration of unemployment and they substantially increase the fraction of unemployed workers who have regular work within a few years after entry into unemployment, as compared to a situation without temporary jobs.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1241.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1241

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Related research
Keywords: unemployment fixed term contracts temporary work job search duration model treatment effect

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis

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  1. Alison L. Booth & Marco Francesconi & Jeff Frank, 2002. "Temporary Jobs: Stepping Stones Or Dead Ends?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(480), pages F189-F213, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Hagen, Tobias, 2003. "Do Fixed-Term Contracts Increase the Long-Term Employment Opportunities of the Unemployed?," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-49, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  3. Gerard J. van den Berg & Anders Holm & Jan C. van Ours, 2002. "Do stepping-stone jobs exist? Early career paths in the medical profession," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 647-665. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, 2000. "Work transitions into and out of involuntary temporary employment in a segmented market: Evidence from Spain," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 53(2), pages 309-325, January.
  5. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, 2002. "Work safety in the context of temporary employment: The Spanish experience," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 55(2), pages 262-285, January.
  6. Bentolila, Samuel & Bertola, Giuseppe, 1990. "Firing Costs and Labour Demand: How Bad Is Eurosclerosis?," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 57(3), pages 381-402, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Lia Pacelli, 2002. "Fixed Term Contracts, Social Security Rebates and Labour Demand in Italy," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 7, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies. [Downloadable!]
  8. Susan N. Houseman, 2001. "The Benefits Implications of Recent Trends in Flexible Staffing Arrangements," Staff Working Papers 02-87, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Van den Berg, G J & Lindeboom, M & Ridder, G, 1994. "Attrition in Longitudinal Panel Data and the Empirical Analysis of Dynamic Labour Market Behaviour," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(4), pages 421-35, Oct.-Dec.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Farber, Henry S, 1999. "Alternative and Part-Time Employment Arrangements as a Response to Job Loss," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(4), pages S142-69, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Segal, Lewis M & Sullivan, Daniel G, 1997. "The Growth of Temporary Services Work," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 117-36, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Card, David & Sullivan, Daniel G, 1988. "Measuring the Effect of Subsidized Training Programs on Movements in and out of Employment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 56(3), pages 497-530, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. repec:fth:baesse:9903 is not listed on IDEAS
  14. Bentolila, S. & Saint-Paul, G., 1992. "A Model of Labour Demand with Linear Adjustment Costs," DELTA Working Papers 92-05, DELTA (Ecole normale supérieure).
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  15. Donna K. Ginther & Madeline Zavodny, 2001. "Is the male marriage premium due to selection? The effect of shotgun weddings on the return to marriage," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 313-328. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Olympia Bover & Ramón Gómez, 1999. "Another Look at Unemployment Duration: Long-Term Unemployment and Exit to a Permanent Job," Banco de España Working Papers 9903, Banco de España.
  17. Henry S. Farber, 1999. "Alternative and Part-Time Employment Arrangements as a Response to Job Loss," NBER Working Papers 7002, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Jaap H. Abbring & Gerard J. van den Berg, 2004. "Analyzing the effect of dynamically assigned treatments using duration models, binary treatment models, and panel data models," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 5-20, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Jaap H. Abbring & Gerard J. van den Berg, 2003. "The Nonparametric Identification of Treatment Effects in Duration Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(5), pages 1491-1517, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, 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.)

  1. Steven Poelhekke, 2008. "Urban Growth, Uninsured Risk, and the Rural Origins of Aggregate Volatility," Economics Working Papers ECO2008/27, European University Institute. [Downloadable!]
  2. Antoni, Manfred & Jahn, Elke J., 2006. "Do changes in regulation affect employment duration in temporary work agencies?," IAB Discussion Paper 200618, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany]. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Bart Cockx & Stéphane Robin & Christian Goebel, 2006. "Income Support Policies for Part-Time Workers: A Stepping-Stone to Regular Jobs? An Application to Young Long-Term Unemployed Women in Belgium," IZA Discussion Papers 2432, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Dario Sciulli, 2006. "Making the Italian Labor Market More Flexible: An Evaluation of the Treu Reform," Economics Working Papers we063408, Universidad Carlos III, Departamento de Economía. [Downloadable!]
  5. Larsson, Laura & Lindqvist, Linus & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2005. "Stepping-stones or dead-ends? An analysis of Swedish replacement contracts," Working Paper Series 2005:18, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
  6. Michael Kvasnicka, 2005. "Does Temporary Agency Work Provide a Stepping Stone to Regular Employment?," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2005-031, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. David H. Autor & Susan Houseman, 2005. "Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes for Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence from 'Work First'," NBER Working Papers 11743, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. John T. Addison & Christopher J. Surfield, 2006. "Does Atypical Work Help the Jobless? Evidence from a CAEAS/CPS Cohort Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 2325, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2005. "Fixed-term Contracts as Sorting Mechanisms: Evidence From Job Durations in West Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 05-85, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  10. Andrea Ichino & Fabrizia Mealli & Tommaso Nannicini, 2005. "Temporary Work Agencies in Italy: A Springboard Toward Permanent Employment?," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 64(1), pages 1-27, September. [Downloadable!]
  11. Yolanda Rebollo Sanz, 2006. "The role of job interruptions, temporary contracts and multi-firm experiences in the temporality trap in Spain," Working Papers 06.31, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Departamento de Economía. [Downloadable!]
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