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Declining labor turnover and turbulence

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  • Fujita, Shigeru

Abstract

The rate of job loss has been on a secular decline for the last four decades or longer. Changes in demographics or industry composition do not account for the trend. This paper seeks to identify the possible sources of the decline using a simple search-and-matching model with two types of workers, experienced and inexperienced, where the former type faces a risk of skill loss during unemployment. The calibrated model suggests that a higher risk of skill loss during unemployment results in a lower job separation rate, because workers accept lower wages in exchange for job security. Various other potential hypotheses are also examined.

Suggested Citation

  • Fujita, Shigeru, 2018. "Declining labor turnover and turbulence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:99:y:2018:i:c:p:1-19
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2017.12.005
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Job loss rate; Job security; Search and matching; Turbulence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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