20294 - LABOUR ECONOMICS
Department of Economics
TITO MICHELE BOERI
Suggested background knowledge
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
CONTENT SUMMARY
Throughout the course, we reflect and provide answers to the following questions:
- What can explain the presence of unemployment in equilibrium?
- How do the unemployed search for jobs?
- What is the effect of unemployment insurance on job search and on the unemployment rate?
- How to design unemployment insurance rules and employment protection legislation?
- Is there ethnic or gender discrimination in the labor market? Which anti-discrimination policies do government adopt? Which effectiveness?
- What determines the level of education in our economies? Which policies lead young people to invest in education?
- What are the effects of computerization on labor? How does Internet affect the borders between dependent employment and self-employment?
- What are the effects of international migration on employment/unemployment and on wages?
Each question is considered in some theoretical framework. Empirical evidence everages on difference-in-difference methods, and randomized controlled trials.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- Understand different models of the labor market.
- Evaluate different labor market policies.
- Understand the role and extent of discrimination in labor markets.
- Understand the effect of technological progress or globalisation on labor markets and on income inequality.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- Critically assess various models of the labor market.
- Critically assess the methods used in the empirical evaluation of labor market policies.
Teaching methods
- Collaborative Works / Assignments
DETAILS
Group assignments: attending students pick one research article from the list we provide and that complements the lectures. They then present it in front of the class in 30 minutes, including discussion.
Assessment methods
Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
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ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Attending students take the final exam and present a research article in pairs to the class.
Non attending students take only the final exam.
Course evaluation:
- Class presentation of an academic paper in groups of 2. Will take place in last 4 classes. 30min presentation (incl questions). 20% of the final grade.
- Written exam, covering the material seen in class, both theory and empirics. 80% of the final grade.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Recommended readings:
Boeri and vanOurs, The Economics of Imperfect Labor Markets, Princeton University Press, Third edition, 2021
Cahuc, Carcillo and Zylberberg, Labor Economics, MIT Press;