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What active labor market policy works in a recession?

Author Info

  • Forslund, Anders

    ()

    (IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation)

  • Fredriksson, Peter

    ()

    (Department of Economics, Stockholm University)

  • Vikström, Johan

    ()

    (IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation)

Abstract

This paper discusses the case for expanding active labor market policy in recession. We find that there is reasonable case for relying more heavily on certain kinds of programs. The argument is tied to the varying size of the lock-in effect in boom and recession. If programs with relatively large lock-in effects should ever be used, they should be used in a downturn. The reason is simply that the cost of forgoing search time is lower in recession. We also provide new evidence on the relative effectiveness of different kinds of programs over the business cycle. In particular we compare an on-the-job training scheme with (traditional) labor market training. We find that labor market training is relatively more effective in recession. This result is consistent with our priors since labor market training features relative large lock-in effects.

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Paper provided by IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy in its series Working Paper Series with number 2011:2.

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Length: 35 pages
Date of creation: 26 Jan 2011
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:hhs:ifauwp:2011_002
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Keywords: Active labor market policy; business cycle; unemployment;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
  • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
  • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy

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  1. Fredriksson, Peter & Johansson, Per, 2008. "Dynamic Treatment Assignment," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 26, pages 435-445.
  2. Peter Fredriksson & Bertil Holmlund, 2003. "Optimal Unemployment Insurance Design: Time Limits, Monitoring, or Workfare?," CESifo Working Paper Series 1019, CESifo Group Munich.
  3. Card, David & Kluve, Jochen & Weber, Andrea, 2009. "Active Labor Market Policy Evaluations: A Meta-Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 4002, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. Fredriksson, P. & Holmlund, B., 1998. "Optimal Unemployment Insurance in Search Equilibrium," Papers 1998-2, Uppsala - Working Paper Series.
  5. Conny Wunsch, 2009. "Optimal Use of Labor Market Policies: The Role of Job Search Assistance," CESifo Working Paper Series 2890, CESifo Group Munich.
  6. Erica L. Groshen & Simon M. Potter, 2003. "Has structural change contributed to a jobless recovery?," Current Issues in Economics and Finance, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 9(Aug).
  7. Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny, 2006. "Are Training Programs More Effective When Unemployment Is High?," CEPR Discussion Papers 5920, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  8. Kluve, Jochen, 2010. "The effectiveness of European active labor market programs," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 904-918, December.
  9. Schmieder, Johannes F. & Wachter, Till von & Bender, Stefan, 2010. "The effects of unemployment insurance on labor supply and search outcomes : regression discontinuity estimates from Germany," IAB Discussion Paper 201004, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
  10. Chinhui Juhn & Kevin M. Murphy & Robert H. Topel, 1991. "Why Has the Natural Rate of Unemployment Increased over Time?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(2), pages 75-142.
  11. Raaum, Oddbjørn & Torp, Hege & Zhang, Tao, 2003. "Business cycles and the impact of labour market programmes," Memorandum 14/2002, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
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Cited by:

  1. Christine Erhel & Charlotte Levionnois, 2013. "Labour Market Policies in Times of Crisis: A Comparison of the 1992-1993 and 2008-2010 Recessions," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 13060, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
  2. Mueller, Andreas I., 2012. "Separations, Sorting and Cyclical Unemployment," IZA Discussion Papers 6849, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  3. Christine Erhel & Charlotte Levionnois, 2015. "Labour Market Policies in Times of Crisis: A Reaction Function Approach for the Period 1985–2010," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 29(2), pages 141-162, 06.
  4. Le Barbanchon, Thomas & Malherbet, Franck, 2013. "An anatomy of the French labour market : country case studies on labour market segmentation," ILO Working Papers 481497, International Labour Organization.
  5. Kluve, Jochen, 2013. "Aktive Arbeitsmarktpolitik: Maßnahmen, Zielsetzungen, Wirkungen," Working Papers 07/2013, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung.

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