Labour market programmes and geographical mobility: migration and commuting among programme participants and openly unemployed

We study migration and commuting among participants in labour market programmes and individuals in open unemployment. Post-programme mobility of participants in Employment Training, which is a supply-orientated program, is compared to the mobility of individuals participating in two demand-orientated programmes and the openly unemployed. The empirical results indicate higher geographical mobility among participants in Employment Training as compared to participants in Relief Work and the Work Experience Scheme. Individuals participating in Employment Training also have a higher probability of mobility than the openly unemployed. In this case, this is due to the relatively higher probability of commuting that predominates the relatively lower probability of migration. Hence, our results indicate that different labour market programmes are associated with different amounts of post-programme mobility. Moreover, using functional regional labour markets as the regional entity, we find interregional commuting to be relatively more important than migration as a means of geographical labour mobility.Geographical labour mobility; labour market programmes; migration; commuting

Sex and Migration: Who is the Tied Mover?

We study the effects of interregional migration on two-earner household gross earnings as well as on the relative income between married and cohabiting couples. In particular, we examine the link between education level and income gains. The empirical analysis is based on longitudinal data from Sweden as well as on functional regional labour markets that operate as regional entities. Using difference-in-differences propensity score matching, we find that migration increases total gross household earnings and has no significant impact on the male/female earnings gap. We find that pre-migration education level is a key determinant of migration and economic outcomes and is also a determinant of the effect of migration on income distribution within the household. The positive average effect on household earnings is largely explained by income gains among highly-educated males. Females generally experience no significant income gain from migration in absolute terms. Females gain significantly in relative income only if they are highly educated and married or cohabitating with a lower-educated male.Regional migration; labor mobility; two earner households

Sex and Migration: Who is the Tied Mover?

We study the effects of interregional migration on two-earner household gross earnings as well as on the relative income between married and cohabiting couples. In particular, we examine the link between education level and income gains. The empirical analysis is based on longitudinal data from Sweden as well as on functional regional labour markets that operate as regional entities. Using difference-in-differences propensity score matching, we find that migration increases total gross household earnings and has no significant impact on the male/female earnings gap. We find that pre-migration education level is a key determinant of migration and economic outcomes and is also a determinant of the effect of migration on income distribution within the household. The positive average effect on household earnings is largely explained by income gains among highly-educated males. Females generally experience no significant income gain from migration in absolute terms. Females gain significantly in relative income only if they are highly educated and married or cohabitating with a lower-educated male.Regional migration; labor mobility; two earner households

Productivity convergence across industries and regions in Norway and Sweden

Several authors have asked why the differences in output per worker between countries are so large and hypothesized that differences in social infrastructure provide an answer. However, differences in output per worker also vary considerably when comparing spatial units at lower levels of resolution, without substantial variation in the social infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to discuss possible reasons for regional differences based on data for the Scandinavian Peninsula at a spatial resolution almost equivalent to the European NUTS3. Since Norway and Sweden are considered to be particularly egalitarian and homogeneous societies, differences in broad measures of social infrastructure can hardly be invoked as substantially important determinants of productive performance. Instead, we investigate the role played by industrial structure. We find strong productivity convergence between Norwegian regions and weak divergence between Swedish ones. For Norway, there is convergence in primary production, manufacturing and services. For Sweden, there is divergence, except in the primary sector. The effect of the industry structure on the spatial distribution of productivity appears to be small in magnitude, but is qualitatively important at least for one time period. The data cover 5-year intervals from 1980 to 2000 for Norway and from 1985 to 2000 for Sweden.growth; productivity convergence; comparative study; European regions

Does Comprehensive Education Work for the Long-term Unemployed?

This paper evaluates the effects of comprehensive adult education on wage earnings of the long-term unemployed, an essentially unexplored issue. We use register data pertaining to a large sample of long-term unemployed persons in Sweden who either enrolled in the comprehensive adult education program, participated in labour market training, or remained in open unemployment. We find that individuals with more than one semester at upper secondary level of the comprehensive adult education program experienced an increase in annual wage earnings compared with those who remained in open unemployment. For those studying at the compulsory level we find no significant effects. The estimated effects were overall negative in relation to vocational labour market training.Adult education; long-term unemployed; wage earnings

Can adult education delay retirement from the labour market?

In this paper, we examine whether adult education delays retirement and increases labour force participation among the elderly, a mechanism suggested in the OECD strategy for “active ageing” and the “Lisbon strategy” of the EU. Using register data from Sweden, we analyse transcripts from adult education for the period 1979–2004 and annual earnings 1982–2004. We match samples of treated individuals, in adult education 1986–1989, and untreated on the propensity score. The timing of exit from the workforce is assessed by non-parametric estimation of survival rates in the labour force. The results indicate no effects of adult education on the timing of retirement.Adult education; Retirement; Human capital; Labour supply; Pensions

Labour market programmes and geographical mobility: migration and commuting among programme participants and openly unemployed

We study migration and commuting among participants in labour market programmes and individuals in open unemployment. Post-programme mobility of participants in Employment Training, which is a supply-orientated program, is compared to the mobility of individuals participating in two demand-orientated programmes and the openly unemployed. The empirical results indicate higher geographical mobility among participants in Employment Training as compared to participants in Relief Work and the Work Experience Scheme. Individuals participating in Employment Training also have a higher probability of mobility than the openly unemployed. In this case, this is due to the relatively higher probability of commuting that predominates the relatively lower probability of migration. Hence, our results indicate that different labour market programmes are associated with different amounts of post-programme mobility. Moreover, using functional regional labour markets as the regional entity, we find interregional commuting to be relatively more important than migration as a means of geographical labour mobility

Can Adult Education Delay Retirement from the Labour Market?

Several studies have suggested that education is associated with later retirement from the labour market. In this paper, we examine whether adult education, involving enrolees aged 42 or above, delays retirement to potentially increase labour force participation among the elderly. With Swedish register data of transcripts from adult education and an-nual earnings, which encompasses 1979-2004 and 1982-2004 respectively, we exploit the fact that adult education is a large-scale phenomenon in Sweden and construct a measure of the timing of the transition from being self-supported by productive work to being supported by pension transfers. We match samples of treated and controls on the propen-sity score and use non-parametric estimation of survival rates. The results indicate that adult education has no effect on the timing of the retirement from the labour force. This can be contrasted with the fact that adult education is one of the cornerstones of the OECD strategy for “active ageing” and the European Union’s “Lisbon strategy” for growth and jobs.Human capital; Pensions; Elderly; Adult schooling

Comparing home-grown fruits: productivity convergence across industries and regions

Output per worker is radically unevenly distributed across space. Several authors have asked why the differences are so large between countries and hypothesized that differences in social infrastructure provide an answer. However, differences in output per worker are also very different when comparing spatial units at lower levels of resolution without substantial variation in social infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to discuss possible reasons why. We will do so by looking at regional data for the Scandinavian Peninsula at a spatial resolution equivalent to the European NUTS3. Since Norway and Sweden is considered particular egalitarian and homogeneous societies, differences in broad measures of social infrastructure can hardly be invoked as substantial important determinants of productive performance. Instead we suggest that differences in industrial structure and human capital are able to explain the differences we observe

Kunskapslyftets privatekonomiska effekter – Nybörjare höstterminen 1997

Syftet med denna studie är att uppskatta den privatekonomiska lönsamheten av att ha deltagit i Kunskapslyftet. Med deltagare i Kunskapslyftet avses här personer som studerade under höstterminen 1997 med det särskilda utbildningsbidraget UBS och som avslutade sina studier före årsskiftet 1998/99. UBS kunde ges till studerande som var berättigade till arbetslöshetsersättning vid studiernas början och utgick med ett bidrag som motsvarade arbetslöshetsersättningen. Bidraget riktades i första hand till dem som saknade slutbetyg från treårigt gymnasium. För att uppskatta den kortsiktiga privatekonomiska lönsamheten av utbildningen i form av real nettoinkomst görs jämförelser med deltagare i arbetsmarknadsutbildning och personer som var arbetslösa. När individernas nettoinkomst analyseras avseende inkomståret 2001 tyder inget på att deltagare i Kunskapslyftet tjänade något på att delta i denna utbildning jämfört med att delta i arbetsmarknadsutbildning. En del resultat pekar i motsatt riktning, dvs på ett något bättre privatekonomiskt utfall för deltagare i arbetsmarknadsutbildning jämfört med deltagare i Kunskapslyftet. Andra resultat visar ingen statistiskt signifikant skillnad mellan de tvågrupperna i detta avseende. Större skillnad i nettoinkomst till arbetsmarknadsutbildningens fördel föreligger för personer med utomnordiskt medborgarskap. Mindre eller statistiskt insignifikanta skillnader påträffas för de något äldre (40-55 år) och för personer med tvåårig gymnasieutbildning som högsta utbildningsnivå innan deltagande. Utfallet för deltagare i Kunskapslyftet tycks vara något bättre vid jämförelse med dem som var öppet arbetslösa hösten 1997. Skattningsresultaten är dock känsliga med avseende på modellspecifikation vid den senare jämförelsen. Individer som fortsatte att utbilda sig efter 1998 ingår inte i analysen. År 2001 var andelen som studerade vid universitet/högskola betydligt högre för dem som studerade i Kunskapslyftet jämfört med deltagare i arbetsmarknadsutbildning och öppet arbetslösa. En mera heltäckande studie av utbildningens effekt på inkomsten efter avslutade studier kan göras först om några år då ytterligare inkomstdata finns tillgängliga.Adult education; labour market training; net wage earnings