This paper investigates whether there are country-specific characteristics in goalscoring in the final stage of important international football matches. We examine goal-scoring from 1960 onwards in full `A' international matches of six national teams: Belgium, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy...

Swiss policy makers created a unique link between unemployment benefits and active labor market programs (ALMPs) by making benefit payments conditional on program attendance after 7 months of unemployment duration. We evaluate the effect of ALMPs and benefit entitlement on the duration of...

The allocation of Moluccan immigrants across towns and villages at arrival in the Netherlands and the subsequent formation of interethnic marriages resemble a natural experiment. The exogenous variation in marriage formation allows us to estimate the causal effect of interethnic marriages on the...

This paper uses information about prime age individuals living in Amsterdam, to study whether the use of alcohol, or tobacco stimulates the use cannabis, i.e. whether alcohol or cannabis are stepping stones for cannabis.The special element of the study is that it concerns the use in an...

The Netherlands experienced a major increase in the number of jobs over the past decade.We show that the spectacular growth of the number of part-time jobs was an important reason for employment growth and the related decline in unemployment.

This paper uses information about prime age individuals living in Amsterdam to study the patterns of use of ecstasy and cocaine.The information was collected in surveys in 1994, 1997 and 2001.The analysis shows that the use of ecstasy and cocaine is mainly influenced by calendar year, family...

We provide evidence for a beneficial welfare impact of a crime policy that is targeted at strenghtening victim precaution. Regulation made application of the electronic engine immobilizer, a simple and low-cost anti-theft device, mandatory for all new cars sold within the European Union as of...

The development of the unemployment rate di¤ers substantially between OECD countries.In this paper we investigate to what extent these differences are related to labor market institutions.In our analysis we use data of eighteen OECD countries over the period 1960-1994 and show that the way in...

The tensions between books and book markets as expressions of culture and books as products in profit-making businesses are analysed and insights from the theory of industrial organisation are given.Governments intervene in the market for books through laws concerning prices of books, grants for...