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The Pricing of Job Characteristics When Markets Do Not Clear: Theory and Implications

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  • Kevin Lang
  • Sumon Majumdar

Abstract

This paper examines nonsequential search when jobs vary with respect to nonpecuniary characteristics. In the presence of frictions in the labor market, the equilibrium job distribution need not show evidence of compensating wage differentials. The model also generates several pervasive features of labor markets: unemployment and vacancies, apparent discrimination, and market segmentation. When workers are homogeneous, restrictions on the range of job offers decrease welfare and cannot reduce unemployment. However, when workers have heterogeneous preferences, such restrictions may lower unemployment and can even lead to a Pareto-improvement in welfare. We consider the impact of policies banning discrimination, regulating working-conditions and imposing a minimum wage.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 9911.

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Date of creation: Aug 2003
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:9911

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  1. Rosen, Sherwin, 1987. "The theory of equalizing differences," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & R. Layard (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 12, pages 641-692 Elsevier.
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  6. Lang, Kevin, 1991. "Persistent Wage Dispersion and Involuntary Unemployment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 181-202, February.
  7. Kevin Lang & Robert W. Rosenthal, 1991. "The Contractors' Game," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 22(3), pages 329-338, Autumn.
  8. Joseph G. Altonji & Christina H. Paxson, 1987. "Labor Supply Preferences, Hours Constraints, and Hours-Wage Tradeoffs," NBER Working Papers 2121, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  9. Hwang, Hae-shin & Mortensen, Dale T & Reed, W Robert, 1998. "Hedonic Wages and Labor Market Search," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(4), pages 815-47, October.
  10. Lucas, Robert E B, 1975. "Hedonic Price Functions," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 13(2), pages 157-78, June.
  11. Hosios, Arthur J, 1986. "Layoffs, Recruitment, and Interfirm Mobility," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(4), pages 473-502, October.
  12. Butters, Gerard R, 1977. "Equilibrium Distributions of Sales and Advertising Prices," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 465-91, October.
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Cited by:
  1. Seungjin Han & Shintaro Yamaguchi, 2012. "Compensating Wage Differentials in Stable Job Matching Equilibrium," Department of Economics Working Papers 2012-01, McMaster University, revised Feb 2013.
  2. Petri Böckerman & Pekka Ilmakunnas, 2005. "Do Job Disamenities Raise Wages or Ruin Job Satisfaction?," Labor and Demography 0501001, EconWPA.
  3. Thomas J. Kniesner & James P. Ziliak & W. Kip Viscusi, 2004. "Life-Cycle Consumption and the Age-Adjusted Value of Life," NBER Working Papers 10266, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  4. Kevin Lang & Hong Kang, 2005. "Worker Sorting, Taxes and Health Insurance Coverage," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2005-011, Boston University - Department of Economics.
  5. Marloes de Graaf-Zijl, 2005. "Compensation of On-call and Fixed-term Employment: the Role of Uncertainty," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-120/3, Tinbergen Institute.
  6. Climent Quintana‐Domeque, 2011. "Preferences, Comparative Advantage, and Compensating Wage Differentials for Job Routinization," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 73(2), pages 207-229, 04.

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