Measurement of Labor Market Institutions

The workshop is jointly organized by IZA and Fondazione Ing. Rodolfo Debenedetti. In particular, the organisers are:

• Tito Boeri (Università Bocconi and IZA)
• Pierre Cahuc (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris and IZA)
• Werner Eichhorst (IZA)
• Winfried Koeniger (University of St. Gallen and IZA)

This workshop is about new research on the measurement of labor market institutions and their effect on the labor market. The 1-day workshop will consist of the presentation of 8 research papers giving important methodological insights on how to construct new indicators or to use existing indicators on labor market institutions. A final discussion on the construction of new indicators will follow.

The workshop will take place in Bonn on July 4, 2007.

Programma

Session 1: Labor market institutions and economic performance

09:00 – 09:40
Donatella Gatti (University of Paris 3 and IZA), Bruno Amable (University Paris 1). Lilas Demmou (CEPREMAP)
“Employment performance and institutions: new answers to an old question”

09:40 – 10:20
Andrea Bassanini (OECD)
“Assessing the impact of labour market policies on productivity: A difference-in-difference approach”

10:20 – 11:00
Giuseppe Fiori (Boston College), Giuseppe Nicoletti (OECD), Stefano Scarpetta (OECD), Fabio Schiantarelli (Boston College)
“Employment Outcomes and the Interaction Between product and Labor Market Deregulation: Are They Substitutes or Complements?”

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee Break

Session 2: Unemployment insurance and non-employment benefits

11:20 – 12:00
Wayne Vroman (Urban Institute)
“Replacement Rates and UC Benefit Generosity”

12:00 – 12:40
Christian Zimmermann (University of Connecticut and IZA), Stephane Pallage (Universite du Quebec a Montreal) and Lyle Scruggs (University of Connecticut)
“Measuring Unemployment Insurance Generosity”

12:40 – 13:40 Lunch

13:40 – 14:20
Stéphane Carcillo (University of Paris 1 and IZA), David Grubb (OECD)
“From Inactivity to Work: The Role of Active Labour Market Policies”

Session 3: Measurement of unions and labor market reforms

14:20 – 15:00
Jelle Visser (University of Amsterdam)
“Social reform pacts, wage bargaining and union bargaining horizons in OECD countries – an attempt at measurement”

15:00 – 15:40
Alfonso Arpaia (European Commission)
“Tracking labour market reforms in the European Union using the LABREF database”

15:40 – 16:10 Coffee Break

Session 4: Outlook

16:10 – 16:50
Werner Eichhorst (IZA)
“What have we learned? Assessing labor market institutions and indicators”

16:50 – 17:10
Panel discussion: Tito Boeri, Pierre Cahuc and Werner Eichhorst

18:00 Excursion & Dinner