The 'fractal' nature of the rise in earnings dispersion is one of its key features. In this paper, we offer a new perspective on the causes of changes in earnings dispersion, focusing on the role of labour reallocation. We set out a framework showing that job and worker reallocation affects...

This paper uses a unique US panel dataset of firms and workers to investigate the relationship between the firm's lifecycle and the reallocation of labour. We distinguish labour reallocation associated with job reallocation, and reallocation of workers over a fixed configuration of jobs. We find...

How long does a job last in Britain? The authors find that many workers have very short jobs and many have very long jobs. They estimate that in 1990, 40 percent of men were in jobs that will last twenty years or more. On the other hand, 24 percent were in jobs lasting less than five years. The...