Abstract:
We examine the implications of search unemployment for the evaluation of a transport in-vestment in a conventional cost benefit analysis (CBA) assuming perfect competition. Lower transport costs induces search over a larger area and longer commuting distances. The ex-pected duration of vacancies is reduced with ensuing benefits outweighing the loss to in-creased transport. The search imperfection drives a wedge between the marginal product of labour and the wage, such that the final benefits of a transport improvement exceed those of a conventional CBA. Using a simulation model we find these additional benefits may be sub-stantial.