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The Value of a Statistical Injury: New Evidence from the Swiss Labor Market

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Author Info
Andreas Kuhn
Oliver Ruf
Abstract

This paper deals with the compensation for non-fatal accident risk in Switzerland and presents empirical estimates of the value of a statistical injury. We approach the problem of endogenous sorting of workers into jobs with different accident risks based on unobserved productivity differences twofold. First, we have access to the number of accidents not only at the level of industries, but within cells defined over industry x skill-level of the job, which allows us to estimate risk compensation within groups of workers defined over the same cells. Second, we capitalize on the partial panel structure of our data which allows us to empirically isolate the wage component specific to the employer. Our different approaches to identification in fact yield very different estimates of the value of a statistical injury. Our preferred estimate gives an estimate of about 40,000 Swiss francs (per prevented injury per year).

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Paper provided by Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW in its series IEW - Working Papers with number iewwp367.

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Date of creation: Apr 2008
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Handle: RePEc:zur:iewwpx:367

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Related research
Keywords: Compensating Wage Differentials; Value of a Statistical Injury; Risk Measurement; Unobserved Productivity;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income

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  1. Viscusi, W Kip & O'Connor, Charles J, 1984. "Adaptive Responses to Chemical Labeling: Are Workers Bayesian Decision Makers?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(5), pages 942-56, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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This page was last updated on 2009-12-3.


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