We use firm closure data from social security records for Austria 1978-1998 to investigate the effect of age on employment prospects. We rely on exact matching to compare workers displaced due to firm closure with similar non-displaced workers. We then use a difference-in-difference strategy to...

We use firm closure data for Austria 1978-1998 to investigate the effect of age on employment prospects. We rely on exact matching to compare workers displaced by firm closure with similar non-displaced workers. We then use a difference-in-difference strategy to analyze employment and earnings...

Starting a firm with expansive potential is an option for educated and high-skilled workers. This option serves as an insurance against unemployment caused by labor market frictions and hence increases the incentives for education. We show within a matching model that reducing the start-up costs...