This paper develops a labor-market orientated expected utility model to explain the massively high level of non-marital fertility, especially teenage single motherhood in the United States in the period 1960-1980. Labor market regulations reduce, via disemployment, male youth income-earning...

The classical economic development literature argues that growth is accompanied by a reduction in agriculture's share and an increase in non-agriculture's share of employment. Yet, growth of the non-farm sector does not necessarily signal increasing levels of development, as the sector may serve...

This paper proposes that reforms by vote-seeking governments and the existence of reform-adverse voters are logically compatible. This results from a commitment problem on the part of voters. Due to economic voting voters cannot credibly commit to reelect a non-reforming government during a...

Policy refers to a broad guideline framed by the government for some desired changes in a state. Policy entrepreneurs are persons who strive to introduce desired changes in the policies and they work with various bodies to get the policies implemented. Policy entrepreneurship on the other hand...

The mismatch between laborer's abilities and the target subject of the training program is one of the most primary concerns for a labor training program. The ability of different workers may significantly affect the outcomes of a labor training program. The objective of this paper is to look at...

In this paper we propose an index for measuring the reforms adopted in various sectors. As compared to the existing methodologies, the proposed tool has the advantage of quantifying the overall progress of reforms in five different areas (labour market, business environment, public finance,...

This paper studies whether the decentralization of public employment services (PES) increases job placements among the unemployed. Decentralizing PES has been a widely applied reform used by governments aiming to enhance their efficacy. However, economic theory is ambiguous about its effects,...

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs aim to reduce poverty or achieve other social goals by making the transfers conditional upon the receivers' actions. Conditions are designed to encourage some desirable behavior that recipients might otherwise under-invest in. An unintended consequence of...

We study the effect of lower unearned income on labor supply. To identify the causal effect of an unexpected reduction in unearned income, we exploit a policy reform that lowered survivor pensions in Austria. Men widowed after the survivor pension reform received an approximately 34% lower...

We study the effect of lower unearned income on labor supply. To identify the causal effect of an unexpected reduction in unearned income, we exploit a policy reform that lowered survivor pensions in Austria. Men widowed after the survivor pension reform received an approximately 34% lower...