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Outside options and wages: What can we learn from subjective assessments?

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  • Marta Lachowska

    (W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research)

Abstract

This paper studies the correlates of subjective assessments of how easy it would be for a worker to find another job as good as the present one and how easy it would be for an employer to replace a worker. First, I study the correlates of these two subjective assessments. Second, I study whether respondents who report better chances of reemployment receive higher wages and whether respondents who think they are easy to replace receive lower wages. The results are consistent with the standard job-matching model, which predicts that wages increase with better outside opportunity of the worker and fall with better outside opportunity of the employer.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Lachowska, 2017. "Outside options and wages: What can we learn from subjective assessments?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 79-121, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:52:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s00181-016-1077-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-016-1077-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Marta Lachowska & Alexandre Mas & Raffaele Saggio & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2022. "Wage Posting or Wage Bargaining? A Test Using Dual Jobholders," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(S1), pages 469-493.
    2. Lukesch, Veronika & Zwick, Thomas, 2021. "Outside options drive wage inequalities in continuing jobs: Evidence from a natural experiment," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-003, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    3. Simon Jäger & Christopher Roth & Nina Roussille & Benjamin Schoefer, 2021. "Worker Beliefs About Outside Options," NBER Working Papers 29623, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wages; Outside options; Job-matching model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J41 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Labor Contracts
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions

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