Empirical studies of per capita income convergence across countries have proliferated in the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to build upon that literature by examining demographic, rather than economic, convergence. In this paper, we examine whether fertility rates have been converging...

Young people of working age tend to be particularly prone to labor market inefficiencies that keep their wages excessively high and their employment excessively low. These inefficiencies are usually magnified through unemployment benefit systems. This paper examines how these problems can be...

The analysis provides a new explanation for two widespread problems concerning European unemployment policy: the disappointingly small effect of many past reform measures on unemployment, and the political difficulties in implementing more extensive reform programs. We argue that the heart of...