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Job creation and job destruction in the presence of informal labour markets

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  • Bosch, Mariano
Abstract
Recessions and policy interventions in labour markets in developing countries are characterized not only by changes in the unemployment rate, but also by changes in the proportion of formal or protected jobs. This reallocation between formal and informal jobs is large and occurs mainly because the job finding rate of formal jobs reacts substantially more than the job finding rate of informal jobs. This paper presents a search and matching model to capture this fact. I assume that firms operate the within firm margin of formality, choosing to legalize only those matches that are good enough to compensate the costs of formality. In this framework, recessions or stricter regulations in the labour market trigger two effects. As expected, they lower the incentives to post vacancies (meeting effect), but also affect the firms’ hiring standards, favouring informal contracts (offer effect). This new channel sheds light on how the actions of policy makers alter the outcomes in an economy with informal jobs. For instance, attempts to protect employment by increasing .ring costs will reallocate workers to informal jobs, where job separation is high. They are also likely to increase unemployment.

Suggested Citation

  • Bosch, Mariano, 2006. "Job creation and job destruction in the presence of informal labour markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 19785, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:19785
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/19785/
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicoletta Batini & Young-Bae Kim & Paul Levine & Emanuela Lotti, 2009. "Informal Labour and Credit Markets: A Survey," School of Economics Discussion Papers 0609, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
    2. Costas Meghir & Renata Narita & Jean-Marc Robin, 2015. "Wages and Informality in Developing Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1509-1546, April.
    3. Gindling, T. H. & Terrell, Katherine, 2007. "Minimum Wages and the Welfare of Workers in Honduras," IZA Discussion Papers 2892, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Ulyssea, Gabriel, 2010. "Regulation of entry, labor market institutions and the informal sector," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 87-99, January.
    5. Richard B. Freeman, 2009. "Labor Regulations, Unions, and Social Protection in Developing Countries: Market distortions or Efficient Institutions?," NBER Working Papers 14789, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Flórez, Luz A., 2017. "Informal sector under saving: A positive analysis of labour market policies," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 13-26.
    7. Finkelstein-Shapiro, Alan & Sarzosa, Miguel, 2012. "Unemployement Protection for Informal Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4542, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Eliane El Badaoui & Olivier Bargain & Prudence Magejo & Eric Strobl & Frank Walsh, 2023. "A Search Model with Self-Employment and Heterogeneity in Managerial Ability," Working Papers hal-04159859, HAL.
    9. Castillo, Paul & Montoro, Carlos, 2010. "Monetary Policy in the presence of Informal Labour Markets," Working Papers 2010-009, Banco Central de Reserva del Perú.
    10. James Albrecht & Lucas Navarro & Susan Vroman, 2009. "The Effects of Labour Market Policies in an Economy with an Informal Sector," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(539), pages 1105-1129, July.
    11. repec:col:000089:013537 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. John Bennett, 2008. "Formality, Informality, and Social Welfare," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 08-06, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    13. Paul Castillo B. & Carlos Montoro Ll., 2012. "Inflation Dynamics in the Presence of Informal Labour Markets," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 15(1), pages 4-31, April.
    14. Pavlik, Jamie Bologna & Williams, Ryan Blake, 2018. "Is the Devil in the Shadow? A Reexamination of the Relationship between Institutions and Income," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266675, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    15. Olivier Bargain & Eliane Badaoui & Prudence Kwenda & Eric Strobl & Frank Walsh, 2012. "The formal sector wage premium and firm size for self-employed workers," Working Papers 201207, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    16. Luz Adriana Florez, 2015. "The Search and Matching Equilibrium in an Economy with an Informal Sector: A Positive Analysis of Labour Market Policies," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, August.
    17. Israt Jahan & Jamie Bologna Pavlik & Ryan Blake Williams, 2020. "Is the devil in the shadow? The effect of institutional quality on income," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1463-1483, November.
    18. Gindling, T.H. & Terrell, Katherine, 2009. "Minimum wages, wages and employment in various sectors in Honduras," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 291-303, June.
    19. Bosch, Mariano & Esteban-Pretel, Julen, 2015. "The labor market effects of introducing unemployment benefits in an economy with high informality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-17.
    20. Ioana M. PETRESCU, 2016. "The Effects of Economic Sanctions on the Informal Economy," Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, College of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, vol. 4(4), pages 623-648, December.
    21. García-Suaza, A & Gómez, M & Jaramillo, F, 2021. "Fiscal policy and informality in Colombia," Documentos de trabajo - Alianza EFI 19416, Alianza EFI.
    22. Mathan Satchi & Jonathan Temple, 2009. "Labor Markets and Productivity in Developing Countries," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 12(1), pages 183-204, January.
    23. Vera Brenčič, 2010. "Do Employers Respond to the Costs of Continued Search?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 72(2), pages 221-245, April.
    24. Nicoletta Batini & Paul Levine & Emanuela Lotti, 2011. "The Costs and Benefits of Informality," School of Economics Discussion Papers 0211, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
    25. Brencic, Vera, 2009. "Employers' hiring practices, employment protection, and costly search: A vacancy-level analysis," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 461-479, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Informal economy; search models; labour markets; regulations.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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