Why do Firms Use Fixed-Term Contracts?
This paper investigates the reasons why firms use fixed-term contracts. Two distinctive features of these contracts - reduced firing costs and the prohibition of contract rollover - are highlighted. Firms' decisions related to temporary contracts - the choice of the contract on offer and contract conversion - are modeled within standard adjustment costs and matching settings. Regression analysis is performed on the stock of fixed-term contracts and the flows of temporary workers to permanent positions. Results from a beta-binomial regression model indicate that screening workers for permanent positions is the single most important reason why firms use this type of contract.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
| Length: | |
| Date of creation: | 2003 |
| Date of revision: | |
| Handle: | RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w200308 |
| Contact details of provider: | Postal: Phone: 21 321 32 00 Fax: 21 346 48 43 Web page: http://www.bportugal.ptEmail: More information through EDIRC
|
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Eric Maurin, 2000. "The European Paradox : Do Flexible Contracts Create Rigid Labor Markets ?," Working Papers 2000-07, Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique.
- Abowd, John M & Corbel, Patrick & Kramarz, Francis, 1997.
"The Entry and Exit of Workers and the Growth of Employment: An Analysis of French Establishments,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
1765, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- John M. Abowd & Patrick Corbel & Francis Kramarz, 1999. "The Entry And Exit Of Workers And The Growth Of Employment: An Analysis Of French Establishments," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(2), pages 170-187, May.
- John M. Abowd & Patrick Corbel & Francis Kramarz, 1996. "The Entry and Exit of Workers and the Growth of Employment: An Analysis of French Establishments," NBER Working Papers 5551, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Serrano, Carlos Garcia, 1998.
"Worker Turnover and Job Reallocation: The Role of Fixed-Term Contracts,"
Oxford Economic Papers,
Oxford University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 709-25, October.
- Garcia Serrano, Carlos, 1999. "Worker Turnover and Job Reallocation: The Role of Fixed-Term Contracts," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 51(1), pages 237a, January.
- Eric Maurin, 2000. "The European Paradox : Do Flexible Contracts Create Rigid Labor Markets ?," Working Papers 2000-07, Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique.
- Booth, Alison L. & Francesconi, Marco & Frank, Jeff, 2000.
"Temporary Jobs: Stepping Stones or Dead Ends?,"
IZA Discussion Papers
205, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- Alison L. Booth & Marco Francesconi & Jeff Frank, 2002. "Temporary Jobs: Stepping Stones Or Dead Ends?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(480), pages F189-F213, June.
- Alison L. Booth & Marco Francesconi & Jeff Frank, 2002. "Temporary Jobs: Stepping Stones or Dead Ends?," LABORatorio R. Revelli Working Papers Series 8, LABORatorio R. Revelli, Centre for Employment Studies.
- Susan N. Houseman, 2000.
"Why Employers Use Flexible Staffing Arrangements: Evidence from an Establishment Survey,"
Upjohn Working Papers and Journal Articles
01-67, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
- Susan N. Houseman, 2001. "Why employers use flexible staffing arrangements: Evidence from an establishment survey," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(1), pages 149-170, October.
- Susan N. Houseman, 2001. "Why Employers Use Flexible Staffing Arrangements: Evidence from an Establishment Survey," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(1), pages 149-170, October.
- Susan N. Houseman, . "Why Employers Use Flexible Staffing Arrangements: Evidence from an Establishment Survey," Upjohn Working Papers and Journal Articles snh2001, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
- Burgess, Simon & Lane, Julia & Stevens, David, 2000.
"Job Flows, Worker Flows, and Churning,"
Journal of Labor Economics,
University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(3), pages 473-502, July.
- Burgess, Simon & Lane, Julia & Stevens, David, 1995. "Job Flows, Worker Flows and Churning," CEPR Discussion Papers 1125, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Simon Burgess & Julia Lane & David Stevens, 1996. "Job Flows, Worker Flows and Churning," Labor and Demography 9604004, EconWPA.
- Maia Güell & Barbara Petrongolo, 2003.
"How Binding are Legal Limits? Transitions from Termporary to Permanent Work in Spain,"
Working Papers
75, Barcelona Graduate School of Economics.
- Guell, Maia & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2007. "How binding are legal limits? Transitions from temporary to permanent work in Spain," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 153-183, April.
- Güell, Maia & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2003. "How Binding are Legal Limits? Transitions from Temporary to Permanent Work in Spain," CEPR Discussion Papers 3931, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Maia Güell & Barbara Petrongolo, 2003. "How binding are legal limits? Transitions from temporary to permanent work in Spain," Economics Working Papers 682, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Jul 2005.
- Güell, Maia & Petrongolo, Barbara, 2003. "How Binding Are Legal Limits? Transitions from Temporary to Permanent Work in Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 782, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
- J. M. R. Murteira & Joao M. C. Santos Silva, 2000.
"Estimation of Default Probabilities Using Incomplete Contracts Data,"
Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers
1121, Econometric Society.
- Santos Silva, J.M.C. & Murteira, J.M.R., 2009. "Estimation of default probabilities using incomplete contracts data," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 457-465, June.
- Olivier Blanchard & Augustin Landier, 2001. "The Perverse Effects of Partial Labor Market Reform: Fixed Duration Contracts in France," NBER Working Papers 8219, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Steven J. Davis & John C. Haltiwanger & Scott Schuh, 1998. "Job Creation and Destruction," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262540932, June.
- Jennifer Hunt, 1994.
"Firing Costs, Employment Fluctuations and Average Employment: An Examination of Germany,"
NBER Working Papers
4825, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Hunt, Jennifer, 2000. "Firing Costs, Employment Fluctuations and Average Employment: An Examination of Germany," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 67(266), pages 177-202, May.
- Hamermesh, Daniel S & Wolfe, John R, 1990.
"Compensating Wage Differentials and the Duration of Wage Loss,"
Journal of Labor Economics,
University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(1), pages S175-97, January.
- Daniel S. Hamermesh & John R. Wolfe, 1986. "Compensating Wage Differentials and the Duration of Wage Loss," NBER Working Papers 1887, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- David H. Autor, 2001.
"Why Do Temporary Help Firms Provide Free General Skills Training?,"
The Quarterly Journal of Economics,
MIT Press, vol. 116(4), pages 1409-1448, November.
- David H. Autor, 2000. "Why Do Temporary Help Firms Provide Free General Skills Training?," NBER Working Papers 7637, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Lane, Julia & Stevens, David & Burgess, Simon, 1996. "Worker and job flows," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 109-113, April.
- Steven J. Davis & John Haltiwanger, 1990. "Gross Job Creation and Destruction: Microeconomic Evidence and Macroeconomic Implications," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1990, Volume 5, pages 123-186 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, 2000. "Work transitions into and out of involuntary temporary employment in a segmented market: Evidence from Spain," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 53(2), pages 309-325, January.
- Pedro Portugal & Olivier Blanchard, 2001. "What Hides Behind an Unemployment Rate: Comparing Portuguese and U.S. Labor Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(1), pages 187-207, March.
This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w200308. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (DEE-NTDD)
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.