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Job Loss in the United States, 1981-2001

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  • Henry S. Farber

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

I examine changes in the incidence and consequences of job loss between 1981 and 2001 using data from the Displaced Workers Surveys (DWS) from 1984-2002. The overall rate of job loss has a strong counter-cyclical component, but the job loss rate was higher than might have been expected during the mid-1990's given the strong labor market during that period. While the job loss rate of more-educated workers increased, less-educated workers continue to have the highest rates of job loss overall. Displaced workers have a substantially reduced probability of employment and an increased probability of part-time employment subsequent to job loss. The more educated have higher post-displacement employment rates and are more likely to be employed full-time. The probabilities of employment and full-time employment among those reemployed subsequent to job loss increased substantially in the late 1990s, suggesting that the strong labor market eased the transition of displaced workers. Reemployment rates dropped sharply in the recession of 2001. Those re-employed, even full-time and regardless of education level earnings declines relative to what they earned before they were displaced. Additionally, foregone earnings growth (the growth in earnings that would have occurred had the workers not been displaced), is an important part of the cost of job loss for re-employed full-time job losers. There is no evidence of a decline during the tight labor market of the 1990s in the earnings loss of displaced workers who were reemployed full-time. In fact, earnings losses of displaced workers have been increasing since the mid 1990s.

Suggested Citation

  • Henry S. Farber, 2003. "Job Loss in the United States, 1981-2001," Working Papers 850, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
  • Handle: RePEc:pri:indrel:471
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Giulio Fella, 2004. "Optimal severance pay in a matching model," 2004 Meeting Papers 794, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    2. Giulio Fella, 2004. "Optimal severance pay in a matching model," 2004 Meeting Papers 794, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    3. Sandra Cavaco & Denis Fougère & Julien Pouget, 2013. "Estimating the effect of a retraining program on the re-employment rate of displaced workers," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 261-287, February.
    4. John Schmitt & Kris Warner, 2011. "Deconstructing Structural Unemployment," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2011-06, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    5. Kjell G. Salvanes & Barton Willage & Alexander Willén, 2024. "The Effect of Labor Market Shocks across the Life Cycle," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(1), pages 121-160.
    6. Addison, John T. & Portugal, Pedro, 2004. "How does the unemployment insurance system shape the time profile of jobless duration?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 229-234, November.
    7. Doh-Shin Jeon & Joel Shapiro, 2004. "Downsizing, Job Insecurity, and Firm Reputation," Working Papers 144, Barcelona School of Economics.
    8. Tom Krebs & Martin Scheffel, 2013. "Macroeconomic Evaluation of Labor Market Reform in Germany," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 61(4), pages 664-701, December.
    9. Jason S. Seligman & Jeffrey B. Wenger, 2005. "Asynchronous Risk: Unemployment, Equity Markets, and Retirement Savings," Upjohn Working Papers 05-114, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    10. Bemjamin Villena-Roldan, 2009. "Aggregate Implications of Employer Search and Recruiting Selection," 2009 Meeting Papers 97, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Guo, Angela & Krolikowski, Pawel & Yang, Meifeng, 2023. "Displaced workers and the pandemic recession," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    12. Dahlberg, Matz & Martén, Linna & Öckert, Björn, 2021. "Who recovers from a job loss? The importance of cognitive and non-cognitive skills," Working Paper Series 2021:2, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    13. Fritsche, Ulrich, 2006. "Ergebnisse der ökonometrischen Untersuchung zum Forschungsprojekt Wirtschaftspolitische Regime westlicher Industrienationen," Working Papers 24, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute of Management Berlin (IMB).
    14. Steven F. Lehrer & Nuno Sousa Pereira, 2008. "Worker Sorting, Health Insurance and Wages: Further Evidence from Displaced Workers in the United States," CEF.UP Working Papers 0804, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    job loss; displacement;

    JEL classification:

    • P35 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Public Finance
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
    • P37 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Legal

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