In the United States, many laid-off workers are recalled to their former employer. I develop an asymmetric information model of layoffs in which high productivity workers are more likely to be recalled and may choose to remain unemployed rather than accept a low-wage job. In this case,...

High levels of employment protection reduce hiring and firing and have a theoretically ambiguous effect on the employment level. Immigrants, being new to the labor market, may be less aware of employment protection regulations and less likely to claim their rights, which may create a gap between...