Pattern in Regional Labor Market Adjustment
Pattern in Regional Labor Market Adjustment

Author: Edward B. Montgomery

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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In this paper I examine regional labor market behavior in the United States and Japan. In contrast with the picture at the aggregate level, Japanese labor markets at the prefectural (regional) level appear to exhibit substantially more persistence than state level labor markets in the United States. The distribution (and positions of regions within the distribution) of wages, unemployment, employment growth, and migration remain remarkably constant in Japan for periods of up to 15 years. Although wages, unemployment, and migration appear to be driven by similar factors in both countries, wages appear to be slightly more sensitive while unemployment is less sensitive to demand shifts in Japan than in the U.S.

Regional Labor Market Adjustments in the United States
Regional Labor Market Adjustments in the United States

Author: Mai Dao

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2014-11-25

Total Pages: 51

ISBN-13: 1498380433

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We examine patterns of regional adjustments to shocks in the US during the past four decades. We find that the response of interstate migration to relative labor market conditions has decreased, while the role of the unemployment rate as absorber of regional shocks has increased. However, the response of net migration to regional shocks is stronger during aggregate downturns and increased particularly during the Great Recession. We offer a potential explanation for the cyclical pattern of migration response based on the variation in consumption risk sharing.

Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility
Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility

Author: Rebecca M. Blank

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-05-15

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 0226056805

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As the Clinton administration considers major overhauls in health insurance, welfare, and labor market regulation, it is important for economists and policymakers to understand the impact of social and welfare programs on employment rates. This volume explores how programs such as social security, income transfers, and child care in Western Europe, the United States, and Japan have affected labor market flexibility—the ability of workers to adjust to fast-growing segments of the economy. Does tying health insurance to employment limit job mobility? Do housing policies inhibit workers from moving to new jobs in different areas? What are the effects of daycare and maternity leave policies on working mothers? The authors explore these and many other questions in an effort to understand why European unemployment rates are so high compared with the U.S. rate. Through an examination of diverse data sets across different countries, the authors find that social protection programs do not strongly affect labor market flexibility. A valuable comparison of labor markets and welfare programs, this book demonstrates how social protection policies have affected employment rates around the globe.

To Fire or to Hoard? Explaining Japan’s Labor Market Response in the Great Recession
To Fire or to Hoard? Explaining Japan’s Labor Market Response in the Great Recession

Author: Mr.Masato Nakane

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 31

ISBN-13: 1455212512

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The Great Recession pushed Japan’s unemployment rate to historic highs, but the increase has been small by international standards and small relative to the large output shock. This paper explores Japan’s cyclical labor market response to the global financial crisis. Our findings suggest that: (i) employment responsiveness has been historically low but rising over time with the increasing importance of the non-regular workforce; (ii) the labor market response was consistent with historical patterns once we control for the size of the output shock; and (iii) the comparatively lower employment response vis-à-vis other countries can in part be explained by the quick implementation of an employment subsidy program, a more flexible wage system, and a corporate governance structure that places workers rights above shareholders.