The Effect of Active Labor Market Programs on Not-Yet Treated Unemployed Individuals

Labor market programs may affect unemployed individuals' behavior before they enroll. Such ex ante effects are hard to identify without model assumptions. We develop a novel method that relates self-reported perceived treatment rates and job-search behavioral outcomes, like the reservation wage, to each other, among newly unemployed workers. Job search theory is used to derive theoretical predictions. To deal with effect heterogeneity and selectivity, the effects of interest are estimated by propensity score matching. We apply the method to the German ALMP system, using a novel data set including self-reported assessments of the variables of interest as well as an unusually detailed amount of information on behavior, attitudes, and past outcomes. We find that the system generates a negative ex ante effect on the reservation wage and a positive effect on search effort.program evaluation, unemployment duration, expectations, search effort, reservation wage, policy evaluation, active labor market policy, identification

The threat effect of participation in active labor market programs on job search behavior of migrants in Germany

Labor market programs may affect unemployed individuals’ behavior before they enroll. Such ex ante effects may differ according to ethnic origin. We apply a novel method that relates self-reported perceived treatment rates and job search behav­ioral outcomes, such as the reservation wage or search intensity, to each other. We compare German native workers with migrants with a Turkish origin or Central and Eastern European (including Russian) background. Job search theory is used to de­rive theoretical predictions. We examine the omnibus ex ante effect of the German ALMP system, using the novel IZA Evaluation Data Set, which includes self-reported assessments of the variables of interest as well as an unusually detailed amount of in­formation on behavior, attitudes and past outcomes. We find that the ex ante threat effect on the reservation wage and search effort varies considerably among the groups considered.Immigrants; policy evaluation; reservation wage; search effort; expectations; unemploy­ment duration; program evaluation; active labor market policy.

The Threat Effect of Participation in Active Labor Market Programs on Job Search Behavior of Migrants in Germany

Labor market programs may affect unemployed individuals' behavior before they enroll. Such ex ante effects may differ according to ethnic origin. We apply a novel method that relates self-reported perceived treatment rates and job search behavioral outcomes, such as the reservation wage or search intensity, to each other. We compare German native workers with migrants with a Turkish origin or Central and Eastern European (including Russian) background. Job search theory is used to derive theoretical predictions. We examine the omnibus ex ante effect of the German ALMP system, using the novel IZA Evaluation Data Set, which includes self-reported assessments of the variables of interest as well as an unusually detailed amount of information on behavior, attitudes and past outcomes. We find that the ex ante threat effect on the reservation wage and search effort varies considerably among the groups considered.unemployment duration, immigrants, active labor market policy, policy evaluation, reservation wage, program evaluation, expectations, search effort

Classically entangled optical beams for high-speed kinematic sensing

Tracking the kinematics of fast-moving objects is an important diagnostic tool for science and engineering. Existing optical methods include high-speed CCD/CMOS imaging, streak cameras, lidar, serial time-encoded imaging and sequentially timed all-optical mapping. Here, we demonstrate an entirely new approach to positional and directional sensing based on the concept of classical entanglement in vector beams of light. The measurement principle relies on the intrinsic correlations existing in such beams between transverse spatial modes and polarization. The latter can be determined from intensity measurements with only a few fast photodiodes, greatly outperforming the bandwidth of current CCD/CMOS devices. In this way, our setup enables two-dimensional real-time sensing with temporal resolution in the GHz range. We expect the concept to open up new directions in photonics-based metrology and sensing.Comment: v2 includes the real-time measurement from the published version. Reference [29] added. Minor experimental details added on page

Gravitational diffraction radiation

We show that if the visible universe is a membrane embedded in a higher-dimensional space, particles in uniform motion radiate gravitational waves because of spacetime lumpiness. This phenomenon is analogous to the electromagnetic diffraction radiation of a charge moving near to a metallic grating. In the gravitational case, the role of the metallic grating is played by the inhomogeneities of the extra-dimensional space, such as a hidden brane. We derive a general formula for gravitational diffraction radiation and apply it to a higher-dimensional scenario with flat compact extra dimensions. Gravitational diffraction radiation may carry away a significant portion of the particle's initial energy. This allows to set stringent limits on the scale of brane perturbations. Physical effects of gravitational diffraction radiation are briefly discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX4. v2: References added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Large deviations for ideal quantum systems

We consider a general d-dimensional quantum system of non-interacting particles, with suitable statistics, in a very large (formally infinite) container. We prove that, in equilibrium, the fluctuations in the density of particles in a subdomain of the container are described by a large deviation function related to the pressure of the system. That is, untypical densities occur with a probability exponentially small in the volume of the subdomain, with the coefficient in the exponent given by the appropriate thermodynamic potential. Furthermore, small fluctuations satisfy the central limit theorem.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX 2

Codebook and Documentation of the Panel Study ‘Labour Market and Social Security’ (PASS) : Datenreport Wave 3

"This wave-specific Datenreport aims to document the wave-related aspects of the study4. Following a short overview of the innovations and characteristics of the third wave (Chapter 1.3.), the key figures on samples and response rates of the third wave are reported (Chapter 2). Moreover, the steps of data preparation and the decisions made as part of this process are described (Chapter 5) and an overview of the variables generated is presented (Chapter 4). Additionally, the weighing procedure is presented (Chapter 6). The separate table reports list the frequencies of all variables included in the scientific use file that were recorded in wave 3, divided into their respective datasets (Volume II to Volume V)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) Additional Information Table report II table report III table report IV table report V Questionaires third wave working tools further information german version of this "Datenreport"IAB-Haushaltspanel, Datenaufbereitung, Datenorganisation, Datenzugang, Datenqualität, Datensatzbeschreibung, Erhebungsmethode, Stichprobe, personenbezogene Daten, private Haushalte, Alterssicherung

The IZA Evaluation Dataset: Towards Evidence-Based Labor Policy-Making

The evaluation of labor market policies has become an important issue in many European countries. In recent years, a number of them have opened their administrative databases for evaluation studies. The advantages of administrative data are straightforward: they are accurate, contain a large number of observations (in some cases the whole population) and usually cover a long period of time. However, the information contained in administrative data is normally limited to administrative purposes. Therefore, information that might be relevant for economic modeling is often absent. The IZA Evaluation Dataset aims to overcome such limitations for Germany by complementing administrative data from the Federal Employment Agency with innovative survey data. The administrative part of the dataset consists of a large random sample of inflows into unemployment in Germany from 2001 to 2008 and contains around 920,000 individuals. The complementary survey covers a panel of more than 17,000 individuals who entered unemployment between June 2007 and May 2008. They were initially interviewed shortly after becoming unemployed and then again one year later. In addition, a quarter of individuals were interviewed already after six months. The survey data also contain information on search behavior, ethnic and social networks, psychological factors, (non-)cognitive abilities, and attitudes. This paper describes the sampling and contents of the IZA Evaluation Dataset and outlines the future development.survey and administrative data, labor market policies, evaluation, attitudes, behavior, skills

Decomposizione della lignina in lettiere di aghifoglie e latifoglie incubate in una foresta temperata e in una foresta boreale

In questa ricerca è stata seguita la dinamica della lignina durante la decomposizione delle lettiere di Populus tremula L. (foglie verdi e brune), Betula pubescens Ehrh., Pinus contorta L., Pinus pinea L., e Pinus sylvestris L. (foglie verdi e brune) incubate in due differenti condizioni climatiche, in una abetina sul Monte Taburno (Italia) e in una foresta boreale a Jädraås (Svezia). I risultati mostrano che le sette lettiere presentano modelli diversi di degradazione della lignina e che le condizioni dei due siti ne regolano la velocità di decomposizione e la concentrazione nel peso residuo. In P. tremula L., foglie verdi, la degradazione della lignina a Jädraås inizia fin dalle prime fasi di decomposizione della lettiera. Nelle altre lettiere si osserva una fase di accumulo prima della fase di decomposizione; quest’ultima è sempre più veloce a Jädraås. La concentrazione di lignina nella lettiera residua negli stadi avanzati di decomposizione è sempre più elevata nelle lettiere incubate al Monte Taburno. I risultati della ricerca indicano che le condizioni ambientali influenzano la degradazione della lignina e esercitano un importante controllo sull’accumulo di carbonio nel suolo