The Cyclical Behavior of Job Quality and Real Wage Growth

Andriana Bellou () and Baris Kaymak

American Economic Review: Insights, 2021, vol. 3, issue 1, 83-96

Abstract: We study the empirical relevance of implicit insurance contracts for wage setting while accounting for cyclical fluctuations in average job quality. Using proxy measures, we find the latter to be acyclical, if not countercyclical, due to the cleansing effects of layoffs during recessions versus quits during expansions. Then, we study the cyclical behavior of wage growth among job stayers to test for contracts, circumventing differences in job quality altogether. Both methods strongly corroborate the prevalence of wage contracts in the labor market and imply a highly procyclical price for labor.

JEL-codes: E24 E32 J31 J41 J63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20190553

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