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On-the-Job Search and the Cyclical Dynamics of the Labor Market

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Author Info
Thomas Lubik
Michael Krause

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Abstract

We develop a dynamic general equilibrium model where workers can engage in search while on the job. We show that on-the-job search is a key component in explaining labor market dynamics in models of equilibrium unemployment. The model predicts fluctuations of unemployment, vacancies, and labor productivity whose relative magnitudes replicate the data. A standard search and matching model suggests much lower volatitilities of these variables. Intuitively, in a boom, rising search activity on the job avoids excessive tightening of the labor market for expanding firms. This keeps wage pressures low, thus further increasing firms?incentives to post new jobs. Labor market tightness as measured by the vacancy-unemployment ratio is as volatile as in the data. The interaction between on-the-job search and job creation also generates a strong internal propagation mechanism.

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Paper provided by The Johns Hopkins University,Department of Economics in its series Economics Working Paper Archive with number 513.

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Date of creation: Sep 2004
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Handle: RePEc:jhu:papers:513

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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.:
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  2. Bent Jesper Christensen & Rasmus Lentz & Dale T. Mortensen & George R. Neumann & Axel Werwatz, 2005. "On-the-Job Search and the Wage Distribution," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(1), pages 31-58, January. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Krause, Michael U. & Lubik, Thomas A., 2006. "The cyclical upgrading of labor and on-the-job search," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 459-477, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Cooley, Thomas F. & Quadrini, Vincenzo, 1999. "A neoclassical model of the Phillips curve relation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 165-193, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Contini, Bruno & Revelli, Riccardo, 1997. "Gross flows vs. net flows in the labor market: What is there to be learned?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 245-263, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Robert Shimer, 2004. "The Consequences of Rigid Wages in Search Models," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 2(2-3), pages 469-479, 04/05. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Cole, Harold L & Rogerson, Richard, 1999. "Can the Mortensen-Pissarides Matching Model Match the Business-Cycle Facts?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 40(4), pages 933-59, November.
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  22. Robert E. Hall, 2005. "Employment Fluctuations with Equilibrium Wage Stickiness," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 50-65, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. James S. Costain & Michael Reiter, 2003. "Business Cycles, Unemployment Insurance, and the Calibration of Matching Models," Economics Working Papers 872, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Oct 2006. [Downloadable!]
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  24. Barbara Petrongolo & Christopher A. Pissarides, 2001. "Looking into the Black Box: A Survey of the Matching Function," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 390-431, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  25. Krause, Michael U. & Lubik, Thomas A., 2007. "The (ir)relevance of real wage rigidity in the New Keynesian model with search frictions," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 706-727, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  26. Bruce Fallick & Charles A. Fleischman, 2004. "Employer-to-employer flows in the U.S. labor market: the complete picture of gross worker flows," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2004-34, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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  30. George A. Akerlof & Andrew K. Rose & Janet L. Yellen, 1988. "Job Switching and Job Satisfaction in the U.S. Labor Market," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 19(1988-2), pages 495-594. [Downloadable!]
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  32. Robert E. Hall, 2003. "Modern Theory of Unemployment Fluctuations: Empirics and Policy Applications," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 145-150, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

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. Robert E. Hall, 2005. "Job Loss, Job Finding, and Unemployment in the U.S. Economy Over the Past Fifty Years," NBER Working Papers 11678, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Antje Berndt & Iulian Obreja, 2007. "The pricing of risk in European credit and corporate bond markets," Working Paper Series 805, European Central Bank. [Downloadable!]
  3. Christopher A. Pissarides, 2007. "The Unemployment Volatility Puzzle: Is Wage Stickiness the Answer?," CEP Discussion Papers dp0839, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  4. Giuseppe Tattara & Marco Valentini, 2007. "On-the-Job Search Over the Business Cycle," Working Papers 2007_15, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari", Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  5. Luigi Landolfo, 2007. "Modeling the impact of external factors on the euro area’s HICP and real economy - a focus on pass-through and the trade balance," Working Paper Series 789, European Central Bank. [Downloadable!]
  6. Kenneth Beauchemin & Murat Tasci, 2007. "Diagnosing labor market search models: a multiple-shock approach," Working Paper 0720, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. [Downloadable!]
  7. Reinout De Bock, 2007. "Investment-Specific Technology Shocks and Labor Market Frictions," Research series 200701-01, National Bank of Belgium. [Downloadable!]
  8. Vincent Bodart & Gregory De Walque & Olivier Pierrard & Henri R. Sneessens & Raf Wouters, 2006. "Nominal Wage Rigidities in a New Keynesian Model with Frictional Unemployment," IZA Discussion Papers 2528, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Thomas B. King, 2005. "Labor productivity and job-market flows: trends, cycles, and correlations," Supervisory Policy Analysis Working Papers 2005-04, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. [Downloadable!]
  10. Murat Tasci, 2007. "On-the-job search and labor market reallocation," Working Paper 0725, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. [Downloadable!]
  11. Robert Shimer, 2005. "The cyclicality of hires, separations, and job-to-job transitions," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, issue Jul, pages 493-508. [Downloadable!]
  12. Meyer, Wolfgang & Gerlach, Knut, 2005. "Zusammenlegung von Arbeitslosen- und Sozialhilfe: Wirkungen auf Löhne, Beschäftigung und gewerkschaftliche Tarifpolitik (The merging of uneployment assistance and social aissistance * effects on wag," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 38(2/3), pages 383-395. [Downloadable!]
  13. Moen, Espen R & Rosen, Asa, 2006. "Incentives in Competitive Search Equilibrium and Wage Rigidity," CEPR Discussion Papers 5554, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Ronald Bachmann, 2005. "Labour Market Dynamics in Germany: Hirings, Separations, and Job-to-Job Transitions over the Business Cycle," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2005-045, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  15. Leora Friedberg & Michael Owyang & Tara Sinclair, 2006. "Searching For Better Prospects: Endogenizing Falling Job Tenure and Private Pension Coverage," Topics in Economic Analysis & Policy, Berkeley Electronic Press, vol. 6(1), pages 1500-1500. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  16. Thomas Lubik & Michael Krause, 2004. "A Note on Instability and Indeterminacy in Search and Matching Models," Economics Working Paper Archive 518, The Johns Hopkins University,Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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