Refugees, and immigrants more generally, often do not have access to all jobs in the labor market. We argue that restrictions on employment opportunities help explain why immigrants have lower employment and wages than native citizens. To test this hypothesis, we leverage refugees' exogenous...

Refugees, and immigrants more generally, often do not have access to all jobs in the labor market. We argue that restrictions on employment opportunities help explain why immigrants have lower employment and wages than native citizens. To test this hypothesis, we leverage refugees' exogenous...

Youth unemployment has become a severe economic and societal problem in many European countries. Based on the existing empirical evidence on different policy options, this chapter draws lessons for future policy making in order to effectively promote youth employment in Europe. In conclusion,...

This paper assesses the current situation of youth unemployment in the European Union. In this context, the main questions are whether the European Youth Guarantee has had any effects and how the school-to-work transitions of young individuals in Europe could be improved.

The paper was produced as a background paper on labor issues for the UNDP study "Convergence to the European Union: Challenges and Opportunities." It first looks at the issue of how the labor market institutions of an acceding country like Macedonia should be shaped to further the integration of...

We study the impact of the pandemic on gender gaps in labor market outcomes in Switzerland. Using the Swiss Labor Force Survey data, we document a significant increase in the gender gap in labor market participation. We find no evidence of a worsening of the unemployment gender gap during the...

Governments regulate employment to protect workers and to improve labor market efficiency. However, employment regulations can be controversial, often complicated by opposing ideological views. Thus, it is important for policymakers in developing countries to base decisions on empirical evidence...

In this paper we assess the relationship between labor policies and market outcomes in Bolivia, accounting for a large informal sector mostly comprised of self-employed entrepreneurs. We calibrate a job search and matching model to reproduce labor market features in 2013, a period in which...

Do labor market reforms initiated in periods of loose monetary policy yield different outcomes from those that were introduced in periods when monetary tightening prevailed? Since economic theory usually pays attention to the steady state change and ignores business cycle interactions of...

This paper uses administrative data to analyze a policy that lowered payroll taxes and severance payments for workers older than 45 hired on open-ended contracts. We find small positive effects on open-ended employment. Instead, firms use the money they save on open-ended workers to increase...