We extend Hopenhayn and Nicolini's [1997] optimal unemployment contracts by including life-cycle features. We show that it is optimal to implement an age-dependant contract. Indeed, the elderly have only a few years left on the labor market prior to retirement. The short horizon of old workers...

This paper extends the job creation - job destruction approach to the labor market to take into account the life-cycle of workers. Forward looking decisions about hiring and firing depend on the time over which to recoup adjustment costs. The equilibrium is typically featured by increasing...