Course 2014-2015 a.y.

Go to class group/s: 31

CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - M (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - CLAPI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - CLEFIN-FINANCE (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/01)

Course Director:
TITO MICHELE BOERI

Course Objectives

The purpose of the course is to provide the basic analytical tools allowing students to understand the operation of markets in which labour services are exchanged for wages.   

Course Content Summary

The course is structured in four parts.
The first part of the course is on labour supply.  After recalling the neoclassical theory of labour supply, the course introduces the job search framework, which is used as an integrated framework in the remainder of the course.
The second part of the course covers labour demand.  It discusses the tradeoffs between labour and capital, skilled and unskilled labour as well as between hours and workers. 
The third part is on labour market equilibrium, notably on wage formation.  Students start by characterising atomistic bilateral monopoly conditions in which firms and workers individually bargain over wages and then move on to collective bargaining structures and models of unions.
The fourth and last part of the course is on applications of the above framework to study specific issues, such as migration, human capital investment and labour market policies.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The final exam is written.  
Students attending the course will have the option to obtain the 60% of the final grade as a presentation of one of the key papers.

Textbooks

• T. BOERI, J. VANOURS, The Economics of Imperfect Labor Markets, Princeton University Press, 2nd edition.
• Selected pages from P. CAHUC, A. ZYLBERBERG, Labor Economics, MIT Press, 2004

Additional readings are provided at the beginning of the course.    

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Prerequisites

The attendance of the course Microeconometrics  is recommended.

Last change 25/03/2014 15:30