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Measuring growth of labour quality and the quality-adjusted unemployment rate in Switzerland

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  • Thomas Bolli
  • Mathias Zurlinden

Abstract

This paper presents results on human capital accumulation for the Swiss economy. We find that the index of labour quality has grown at a rate of 0.5% per year from 1991 to 2006. The main sources are the growth in average levels of education and the passing of the baby boom cohort through the age structure of the workforce. Projections over the period 2006-2050 suggest that labour quality growth will slow down with time. We also calculate a quality-adjusted unemployment rate and find that the unemployment rate is reduced by about 0.3 pp when human capital accumulation is taken into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Bolli & Mathias Zurlinden, 2008. "Measuring growth of labour quality and the quality-adjusted unemployment rate in Switzerland," Working Papers 2008-13, Swiss National Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:snb:snbwpa:2008-13
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    File URL: https://www.snb.ch/en/publications/research/working-papers/2008/working_paper_2008_13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel Aaronson & Daniel G. Sullivan, 2002. "Growth in worker quality," Chicago Fed Letter, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, issue Feb.
    2. John M. Abowd & Francis Kramarz & David N. Margolis, 1999. "High Wage Workers and High Wage Firms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(2), pages 251-334, March.
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    6. Dorothe Bonjour & Michael Gerfin, 2001. "The unequal distribution of unequal pay - An empirical analysis of the gender wage gap in Switzerland," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 407-427.
    7. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling and Earnings," NBER Chapters, in: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings, pages 41-63, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Bolli & Mathias Zurlinden, 2012. "Measurement of labour quality growth caused by unobservable characteristics," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(18), pages 2297-2308, June.
    2. Barbara Rudolf & Mathias Zurlinden, 2010. "Productivity and Economic Growth in Switzerland 1991-2006," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 146(III), pages 577-600, September.
    3. Siegenthaler Michael & Graff Michael & Mannino Massimo, 2016. "Characteristics and Drivers of the Swiss “Job Miracle”," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 67(1), pages 53-89, May.
    4. Michael Graff & Massimo Mannino & Michael Siegenthaler, 2014. "The Swiss "Job Miracle"," KOF Working papers 14-368, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human capital; labour quality; unemployment rate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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