This paper develops a model where two agents in different sectors face uncorrelated income risks and mutually self-insure. We discuss how the rent arising from risk pooling modifies the wage distribution in the sector where the employer behaves as a monopsonist.

We construct a unique data set from succession and bankruptcy sales in Mauritius to investigate the determinants of slave prices between 1825 and 1827. We find that males, females sold with children, skilled slaves and slaves sold during the peak sugar cane harvest season all fetched higher...

Evidence on adverse selection in slave markets remains inconclusive. We study this question through notarial acts on public slave auctions in Mauritius between 1825 and 1835, involving 4,286 slaves. In addition to slave characteristics, the acts document the identities of buyers and sellers. We...

This paper develops a consumption-based asset pricing model in which attitudes towards risk are contingent upon the state of the world. For a low (high) level of consumption relative to a subjective metric, counter-cyclical (pro-cyclical) risk aversion implies that consumption shocks generate...

We propose a consumption-based capital asset pricing model in which the representative agent's preferences display state-dependent risk aversion. Since a common factor - the state of the world - influences both stock prices and preferences, we obtain a valuation equation in which the vector of...

A discrete-time asset pricing model is developed for the situation where the representative agent has state-dependent risk aversion. The limiting continuous-time case is obtained and contrasted with Breeden's (1979) consumption-based capital asset pricing model. The essential feature is the...

This paper studies the impact of families on sectoral labor allocation in developing agricultural economies. In an overlapping generations framework, we equate a family to a contingent-claims contract. Families are endogenous by design. A risk-averse adult facing possible unemployment may be...

The empirical literature on the asset allocation and medical expenditures ofU.S. households consistently shows that risky portfolio shares are increasing inboth wealth and health whereas health investment shares are decreasing in thesesame variables. Despite this evidence, most of the existing...

Information asymmetry is a necessary prerequisite for testing adverse selection.This paper applies this sequence of tests to Mauritian slave auctions. Dynamicauction theory with private value highlights more aggressive bidding by uninformedbidders and higher prices when an informed participant...