Job Queues and Wages: New Evidence on the Minimum Wage and Inter-Industry Wage Structure

This paper uses job applications- data to test the existence of non-competitive, ex-ante rents in the labor market. We first examine whether jobs that pay the legal minimum wage face an excessively of labor as measured by the number of job applications received for the most recent positions filled by the firs. The results indicate that openings for jobs that pay the minimum wage attract significantly more job applications than jobs that pay either more or less than the minimum wage. This spike in the job application rate distribution indicates that ex-ante rents generated for employees by an above market-level minimum wage do not appear to be completely dissipated by employer actions. The second part of the paper uses a similar approach to examine whether jobs in high-wage industries pay above market-clearing wage rates. We find a weak, positive relationship between inter-industry applications differentials and inter-industry wage differentials. In addition, our results indicate that employer size has a sizeable positive effect on the job application rate even after controlling for the wage rate. The paper considers several possible explanations for these findings.

Economic Value of the Oil and Gas Resources on the Outer Continential Shelf

A theoretical framework for estimating the economic value of the federal government's offshore oil and gas resources is developed. This framework is then applied to geological and economic data generated by the Minerals Management Service in support of their five-year leasing plan. With an 8 percent real discount rate and a 1 percent real price growth rate, the remaining economic rent as of 1987 on the reserves plus the undiscovered offshore oil and gas resources is estimated at $118.6 billion (1987 dollars). The present value of the government's receipts from cash bonus and royalty payments on these deposits is estimated at$37.2 billion. Over 80 percent of the remaining economic rent is derived from developed reserve deposits located in the Gulf of Mexico. The private sector has previously paid cash bonuses for the leases located on those deposits and financed the installation of the development platforms. Because of this, the government will collect only a small portion, approximately 22 percent, of the rent remaining on those reserves.Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

How Much Do Immigration and Trade Affect Labor Market Outcomes?

macroeconomics, trade, labor markets, immigration

Development of silicon carbide semiconductor devices for high temperature applications

The semiconducting properties of electronic grade silicon carbide crystals, such as wide energy bandgap, make it particularly attractive for high temperature applications. Applications for high temperature electronic devices include instrumentation for engines under development, engine control and condition monitoring systems, and power conditioning and control systems for space platforms and satellites. Discrete prototype SiC devices were fabricated and tested at elevated temperatures. Grown p-n junction diodes demonstrated very good rectification characteristics at 870 K. A depletion-mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor was also successfully fabricated and tested at 770 K. While optimization of SiC fabrication processes remain, it is believed that SiC is an enabling high temperature electronic technology

Advances in silicon carbide Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) for semiconductor device fabrication

Improved SiC chemical vapor deposition films of both 3C and 6H polytypes were grown on vicinal (0001) 6H-SiC wafers cut from single-crystal boules. These films were produced from silane and propane in hydrogen at one atmosphere at a temperature of 1725 K. Among the more important factors which affected the structure and morphology of the grown films were the tilt angle of the substrate, the polarity of the growth surface, and the pregrowth surface treatment of the substrate. With proper pregrowth surface treatment, 6H films were grown on 6H substrates with tilt angles as small as 0.1 degrees. In addition, 3C could be induced to grow within selected regions on a 6H substrate. The polarity of the substrate was a large factor in the incorporation of dopants during epitaxial growth. A new growth model is discussed which explains the control of SiC polytype in epitaxial growth on vicinal (0001) SiC substrates

Overcoming the boundary layer turbulence at Dome C: ground-layer adaptive optics versus tower

The unique atmospheric conditions present at sites such as Dome C on the Antarctic plateau are very favorable for high spatial resolution astronomy. At Dome C, the majority of the optical turbulence is confined to a 30 to 40 m thick stable boundary layer that results from the strong temperature inversion created by the heat exchange between the air and the ice-covered ground. To fully realize the potential of the exceptionally calm free atmosphere, this boundary layer must be overcome. In this article we compare the performance of two methods proposed to beat the boundary layer: mounting a telescope on a tower that physically puts it above the turbulent layer, and installing a telescope at ground level with a ground-layer adaptive optics system. A case is also made to combine these two methods to further improve the image quality

Use of aerial thermography in Canadian energy conservation programs

Recent developments in the use of aerial thermography in energy conservation programs within Canada were summarized. Following a brief review of studies conducted during the last three years, methodologies of data acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation was discussed. Examples of results from an industrial oriented project were presented and recommendations for future basic work were outlined

Spectral methods for the wave equation in second-order form

Current spectral simulations of Einstein's equations require writing the equations in first-order form, potentially introducing instabilities and inefficiencies. We present a new penalty method for pseudo-spectral evolutions of second order in space wave equations. The penalties are constructed as functions of Legendre polynomials and are added to the equations of motion everywhere, not only on the boundaries. Using energy methods, we prove semi-discrete stability of the new method for the scalar wave equation in flat space and show how it can be applied to the scalar wave on a curved background. Numerical results demonstrating stability and convergence for multi-domain second-order scalar wave evolutions are also presented. This work provides a foundation for treating Einstein's equations directly in second-order form by spectral methods.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Improving the geological interpretation of magnetic and gravity satellite anomalies

Quantitative analysis of the geologic component of observed satellite magnetic and gravity fields requires accurate isolation of the geologic component of the observations, theoretically sound and viable inversion techniques, and integration of collateral, constraining geologic and geophysical data. A number of significant contributions were made which make quantitative analysis more accurate. These include procedures for: screening and processing orbital data for lithospheric signals based on signal repeatability and wavelength analysis; producing accurate gridded anomaly values at constant elevations from the orbital data by three-dimensional least squares collocation; increasing the stability of equivalent point source inversion and criteria for the selection of the optimum damping parameter; enhancing inversion techniques through an iterative procedure based on the superposition theorem of potential fields; and modeling efficiently regional-scale lithospheric sources of satellite magnetic anomalies. In addition, these techniques were utilized to investigate regional anomaly sources of North and South America and India and to provide constraints to continental reconstruction. Since the inception of this research study, eleven papers were presented with associated published abstracts, three theses were completed, four papers were published or accepted for publication, and an additional manuscript was submitted for publication