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Towards an Evolutionary Interpretation of Aggregate Labor Market Regularities

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  • Gabriele R.
  • Fagiolo G.
  • Dosi G.

Abstract

In this paper, we present an agent-based, evolutionary, model of output- and labor-market dynamics. Firms produce a homogeneous, perishable, good under constant returns to scale using labor only. Workers are skill-homogeneous and buy the good spending all their wage. Labor productivities are firm-specific and change stochastically due to technical progress. Both firms and workers hold wage expectations which are adaptively revised on the base of observed market dynamics. A key feature of the model is an explicit microfoundation of the processes of: (i) matching between firms and workers; (ii) worker search; (iii) wage setting; (iv) endogenous formation of aggregate demand; (v) endogenous price formation. We also allow for selection of firms on the basis of their revealed competitiveness. Montecarlo simulations show that the model is able to jointly reproduce Beveridge, Wage and Okun's curves under quite broad behavioral and institutional settings. The system generates endogenously Okun's coefficients greater than one even if individual firms employ constant returns to labor technologies. Simulations also indicate that statistically detectable shifts in Okun's and Beveridge curves emerge as the result of changes in institutional, behavioral, and technological parameters. Finally, the model generates sharp predictions about how system parameters affect aggregate performance and its volatility

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriele R. & Fagiolo G. & Dosi G., 2004. "Towards an Evolutionary Interpretation of Aggregate Labor Market Regularities," Computing in Economics and Finance 2004 84, Society for Computational Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:sce:scecf4:84
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    Cited by:

    1. Matteo Richiardi, 2004. "A Search Model Of Unemployment And Firm Dynamics," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(02), pages 203-221.
    2. Juan Manuel Larrosa, 2016. "Agentes computacionales y análisis económico," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 18(34), pages 87-113, January-J.
    3. G. Fagiolo & G. Dosi & R. Gabriele, 2004. "Matching, Bargaining, And Wage Setting In An Evolutionary Model Of Labor Market And Output Dynamics," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Roberto Leombruni & Matteo Richiardi (ed.), Industry And Labor Dynamics The Agent-Based Computational Economics Approach, chapter 5, pages 59-89, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Peter Hans Matthews, 2004. "Who is Post-Walrasian Man?," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0412, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    5. Sandra Tavares Silva & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2006. "An evolutionary model of firms' institutional behavior focusing on labor decisions," FEP Working Papers 227, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    6. Dan Farhat, 2011. "Bookworms versus Party Animals: An Artificial Labor Market with Human and Social Capital Accumulation," Working Papers 1103, University of Otago, Department of Economics, revised May 2011.
    7. Moreno Baruffini, 2013. "An agent-based simulation of the Swiss labour market : an alternative for the labour market policy evaluation," ERSA conference papers ersa13p216, European Regional Science Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor Markets; Dynamics; Aggregate Regularities; Beveridge Curve; Okun Curve; Wage Curve; Matching Models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • J41 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Labor Contracts

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