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Can age discrimination be justified with a lower productivity of older workers?

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  • Barthel, Jens

Abstract

The connection between age and productivity is a widely discussed topic in the empirical literature. The present paper's aim is to contribute to the explanation of an apparant lower productivity of older individuals. If we introduce uncertainty about the future working conditions depending on present success, a decrease of productivity over the working life can be observed despite a constant a priori productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Barthel, Jens, 2008. "Can age discrimination be justified with a lower productivity of older workers?," MPRA Paper 14682, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:14682
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/14682/1/MPRA_paper_14682.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Bernt Bratsberg & James F. Ragan Jr. & John T. Warren, 2003. "Negative Returns to Seniority: New Evidence in Academic Markets," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 56(2), pages 306-323, January.
    6. Levin, Sharon G & Stephan, Paula E, 1991. "Research Productivity over the Life Cycle: Evidence for Academic Scientists," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(1), pages 114-132, March.
    7. Phelps, Edmund S, 1972. "The Statistical Theory of Racism and Sexism," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 659-661, September.
    8. Börsch-Supan, Axel & Düzgün, Ismail & Weiss, Matthias, 2005. "Altern und Produktivität: Zum Stand der Forschung," MEA discussion paper series 05073, Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy.
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    Cited by:

    1. Janis Kudins, 2022. "Economic usefulness of older workers in terms of productivity in the modern world," Post-Print hal-04242553, HAL.
    2. Janis Kudins, 2022. "Economic usefulness of older workers in terms of productivity in the modern world," Insights into Regional Development, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 4(1), pages 40-56, March.
    3. Pål Børing, 2021. "The Relationship Between Firm Productivity, Wage Level and Employees’ Age: A Sectoral Perspective," De Economist, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 367-404, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    age discrimination; productivity;

    JEL classification:

    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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