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Uniform Working Hours and Structural Unemployment

Author

Listed:
  • Haoming Liu

    (Department of Economics National University of Singapore Singapore 119260)

  • Yi Wen

    (Research Department Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

  • Lijing Zhu

    (Department of Economics National University of Singapore Singapore 119260)

Abstract
In this paper, we construct a simple model based on heterogeneity in workers¡¯ productivity and homogeneity in their working schedules. This simple model can generate unemployment, even if wages adjust instantaneously, firms are perfectly competitive, and firms can perfectly observe workers¡¯ productivity and effort. In our model, it is optimal for low-skilled workers to be unemployed because, on the one hand, firms do not find it optimal to hire low-skilled workers when labor hours must be synchronized across heterogeneous workers, and on the other hand, low-skilled workers do not find it attractive working for the same hours as high-skilled workers at competitive wages based on productivity. Thus our model offers an alternative explanation for why unskilled workers are a primary source of structural unemployment.

Suggested Citation

  • Haoming Liu & Yi Wen & Lijing Zhu, 2007. "Uniform Working Hours and Structural Unemployment," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 8(1), pages 113-136, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cuf:journl:y:2007:v:8:i:1:p:113-136
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yellen, Janet L, 1984. "Efficiency Wage Models of Unemployment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(2), pages 200-205, May.
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    4. Costa, Dora L, 1998. "The Unequal Work Day: A Long-Term View," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(2), pages 330-334, May.
    5. Lawrence F. Katz, 1986. "Efficiency Wage Theories: A Partial Evaluation," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1986, Volume 1, pages 235-290, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Costa, Dora L, 2000. "The Wage and the Length of the Work Day: From the 1890s to 1991," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 156-181, January.
    7. Cho, Jang-Ok & Cooley, Thomas F., 1994. "Employment and hours over the business cycle," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 411-432, March.
    8. Kydland, Finn E., 1984. "Labor-force heterogeneity and the business cycle," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 173-208, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. De-Chih Liu, 2011. "Hysteresis Hypothesis in Job Creation and Destruction: Evidence from the U.S," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 12(2), pages 389-409, November.
    2. Ping Yan, 2011. "Optimal Unemployment Insurance with Endogenous Search Effort," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 12(2), pages 347-369, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unemployment; Structural unemployment; Equilibrium unemployment; Synchronized working hours; Uniform working hours; Heterogeneous labor; Indivisible labor;
    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
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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