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Time Preferences and Job Search: Evidence from France

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  • Bassem Ben Halima
  • Mohamed Ali Ben Halima

Abstract

Increasing impatience reduces search efforts of unemployed job seekers and therefore decreases the exit rate from unemployment. Also, impatience reduces reservation wage and increases the exit rate. To determine the overall effect of impatience on the exit rate from unemployment, we distinguish between exponential and hyperbolic time preferences. Search effort dominates the reservation wage and decreases the exit rate from unemployment if individuals have hyperbolic, rather than exponential, preferences. Using the French sample of the European Household Panel Survey, we found that search effort has a strong effect on the duration of unemployment, whereas the reservation wage is not significant. This result shows that the job seekers have hyperbolic preferences. Hyperbolic preferences affect problems associated with job search and policies aimed at reducing unemployment. Copyright 2009 CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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  • Bassem Ben Halima & Mohamed Ali Ben Halima, 2009. "Time Preferences and Job Search: Evidence from France," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 23(3), pages 535-558, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:23:y:2009:i:3:p:535-558
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan D. Cohen & Keith Marzilli Ericson & David Laibson & John Myles White, 2016. "Measuring Time Preferences," NBER Working Papers 22455, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Backes-Gellner, Uschi & Herz, Holger & Kosfeld, Michael & Oswald, Yvonne, 2018. "Do Preferences and Biases predict Life Outcomes? Evidence from Education and Labor Market Entry Decisions," CEPR Discussion Papers 12609, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. David Laibson, 1997. "Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 112(2), pages 443-478.
    4. T.M. van Huizen & J. Plantenga, 2013. "Job Search Behaviour and Time Preferences: Evidence from the Netherlands," Working Papers 13-03, Utrecht School of Economics.
    5. Edward L. Glaeser & David I. Laibson & José A. Scheinkman & Christine L. Soutter, 2000. "Measuring Trust," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 115(3), pages 811-846.
      • Glaeser, Edward Ludwig & Laibson, David I. & Scheinkman, Jose A. & Soutter, Christine L., 2000. "Measuring Trust," Scholarly Articles 4481497, Harvard University Department of Economics.

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