Reassessing the Wage Penalty for Temps in Germany

As a consequence of the rapid growth of temporary agency employment in Germany, the debate on the poor working conditions of temps, specifically their remuneration, has intensified recently. Using administrative data, the paper shows that the wage gap for German temp workers is rather large and varies between occupation and region. But temps already suffer from a marked wage decline before entering the temporary help sector. Nevertheless, temporary agency employment does not leave a long lasting scar. Two years after leaving the sector, temps no longer suffer from a wage penalty. A recent change in the law set a high incentive for temporary help agencies to pay their workers according to a sectoral collective agreement. Surprisingly, the unionization of the sector could not bring the widening wage gap to a halt.temporary agency employment, wage differential, earnings, Germany, reform

Substitution and crowding-out effects of active labour market policy

The search model contains two matching technologies, the public employment service (PES) with its type-specific registers for workers and vacancies, and the search market where firms advertise vacancies and unemployed who have not been placed by the PES search for jobs. The placement activity of the PES increases the bargained wages, reduces active job search, decreases the number of advertised vacancies, but - compared with the laissez- faire regime - increases employment and per capita consumption. Of all the instruments of ALMP, the probabilities of a match, the portion of unskilled not interested in a job, and the hiring subsidies generate crowding-out effects. The productivity of the unskilled, (re-employment)bonuses, penalties for violations of the search rule, and the stringency of the search rule cause crowdingin effects. Assistance for problem groups is less effective than promoting active job search. -- Das Suchmodel umfasst zwei Matching-Technologien, die des PES mit typspezifischen Registern für Arbeitslose und Vakanzen und die des Suchmarkts, wo Firmen Vakanzen annoncieren und nicht Vermittelte nach Stellen suchen. Die Vermittlungstätigkeit des PES erhöht die Lohnkosten, reduziert die aktive Suche und die annoncierten Vakanzen, senkt im Vergleich zum Laissez-faire Regime die Arbeitslosenquote und steigert den Pro-Kopf-Konsum. Von den Instrumentvariablen der ALMP verdrängen die Matchwahrscheinlichkeiten, der Anteil der "Arbeitsunwilligen" und die Lohnkostenzuschüsse Arbeitsplätze. Die Produktivität der Geringqualifizierten, (Wiederbeschäftigungs-) Prämien, Sanktionen für Suchregel-Verstöße sowie die Intensität der Regeldurchsetzung senken die Arbeitslosigkeit. Die Förderung von "Problemgruppen" ist weniger wirkungsvoll als die Förderung der aktiven Jobsuche.Matching model,active labor market policy,PES,search market,heterogeneous unemployment pool,ranking

A Hiring Subsidy for Long-Term Unemployed in a Search Model with PES and Random Search

Our search model combines two search methods, the public employment service (PES) and random search. The separation rate is endogenous, the job matching process consists of three stages. In the first and the second respectively the short-term (STU) and the long-term unemployed (LTU) randomly search for a vacancy. In the last stage the PES matches registered jobseekers with registered vacancies. The LTU cause training costs and, during the training period, have a lower marginal product than the STU. The effects of the hiring subsidy and of profiling techniques to increase the effectiveness of the PES depend on the target group. For target groups, who have relatively low private search costs in comparison with their productivity, not only the hiring subsidy but also the job placement activities of the PES are counterproductive and reduce overall employment.matching model, hiring subsidy, endogenous separation rate, active labour market policy, PES and search market

Do Targeted Hiring Subsidies and Profiling Techniques Reduce Unemployment?

To reduce unemployment targeted hiring subsidies for long-term unemployed are often recommended. To explore their effect on employment and wages, we devise a model with two types of unemployed and two methods of search, a public employment service (PES) and random search. The eligibility of a new match depends on the applicant’s unemployment duration and on the method of search. The hiring subsidy raises job destruction and extends contrary to Mortensen-Pissarides (1999, 2003) the duration of a job search, so that equilibrium unemployment increases. Like the subsidy, organizational reforms, which advance the search effectiveness of the PES, crowd out the active jobseekers and reduce overall employment as well as social welfare. Nevertheless, reforms are a visible success for the PES and its target group, as they significantly increase the service’s placement rate and lower the duration of a job search via the PESMatching model; hiring subsidy; endogenous separation rate; active labour market policy; PES; random search

Base Period, Qualifying Period and the Equilibrium Rate of Unemployment

Unemployment benefits, benefit duration, base period and qualifying period are constituent parameters of the unemployment insurance system in most OECD countries. From economic research we know that the amount and duration of unemployment benefits increase unemployment. To analyze the effects of the other two parameters we use a matching model with search frictions and show that there is a trade-off between the qualifying and the base period on the one hand and the amount and duration of the unemployment benefits on the other. A country that combines a high level of unemployment benefits with a long benefit duration can neutralize the effect on the equilibrium rate of unemployment with a long qualifying and/or a short base period. -- Lohnersatzleistungen, Anspruchsdauern, Rahmenfristen und Anwartschaftszeiten sind konstituierende Parameter der Arbeitslosenversicherungen in den meisten OECD Ländern. Ökonomische Untersuchungen zeigen, dass Höhe und Dauer der Lohnersatzleistungen die Arbeitslosigkeit erhöhen. Im Rahmen eines Matching-Modells untersuchen wir die Wirkung der anderen beiden Parameter und zeigen, dass ein trade-off zwischen der Anwartschaftszeit und der Rahmenfrist auf der einen und der Höhe und der Dauer der Lohnersatzleistungen auf der anderen Seite existiert. Ein Land mit einer hohen Arbeitslosenunterstützung und langer Anspruchsdauer kann die Wirkung auf die Arbeitslosenquote durch eine lange Anwartschaftszeit und eine kurze Rahmenfrist neutralisieren.Unemployment insurance,base period,qualifying period

A hiring subsidy for long-term unemployed in a search model with PES and random search

Our search model combines two search methods, the public employment service (PES) and random search. The separation rate is endogenous, the job matching process consists of three rounds. In the first and the second respectively the short-term (STU) and the long-term unemployed (LTU) randomly search for a vacancy. During the last round the PES matches registered jobseekers with registered vacancies. The LTU cause training costs and, during the training period, have a lower marginal product than the STU. The effects of the hiring subsidy and of profiling techniques to increase the effectiveness of the PES depend on the target group they are geared towards. For skill groups, who have relatively low private search costs in comparison with their productivity, not only the hiring subsidy but also the job placement activities of the PES are counterproductive and reduce overall employment. -- Das Modell kombiniert zwei Suchmethoden, den staatlichen Vermittlungsdienst (PES) und die private Jobsuche. Die Trennungsrate des Modells ist endogen, der Matching Prozeß umfasst drei Phasen. In der ersten und zweiten suchen jeweils die Kurzzeitarbeitslosen (STU) und die Langzeitarbeitslosen (LTU) nach annoncierten Stellen, in der dritten vermittelt der PES registrierte Jobsucher mit registrierten Vakanzen. LTU verursachen Trainingskosten und haben während der Einarbeitungszeit eine geringere Produktivität als STU. Die Wirkungen des Lohnkostenzuschusses für LTU und der Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Vermittlungseffektivität des PES hängen von der Zielgruppe ab. Für Zielgruppen, deren private Suchkosten im Vergleich zu ihrer Arbeitsproduktivität relativ gering sind, erweisen sich nicht nur der Lohnkostenzuschuss sondern auch die staatliche Vermittlungsaktivität als kontraproduktive Instrumente, die die gesamtwirtschaftliche Beschäftigung reduzieren.Matching model,hiring subsidy,endogenous separation rate,active labour market policy,PES,search market

What Drives the Demand for Temporary Agency Workers?

Temporary agency employment has grown steadily in most European countries over the past three decades as part of the general trend towards increased employment flexibility. Yet to this day, it remains an open question what drives the demand for temporary agency workers. The paper examines, first, whether the deregulation of temporary agency employment is responsible for the growth of the flexible staffing industry. Second, we investigate the cyclical behavior of temporary agency employment. Using monthly data for Germany covering the period 1973-2008, we show that the continuous liberalization of this sector is not responsible for the surge in temporary agency employment. Our analysis reveals, moreover, that temporary agency employment exhibits strong cyclical behavior and correlates with main economic indicators in real time. Since most European countries promoted the use of temporary agency employment in a similar way, we believe that our results may be interesting from an international perspective as well.business cycle, labor law, temporary agency employment, regulation

Looking Beyond the Bridge: How Temporary Agency Employment Affects Labor Market Outcomes

We perform a comprehensive analysis of the stepping-stone effect of temporary agency employment on unemployed workers. Using the timing-of-events approach, we not only investigate whether agency employment is a bridge into regular employment but also analyze its effect on post-unemployment wages and job stability for unemployed Danish workers. We find evidence of large positive treatment effects, particularly for immigrants. There is also some indication that higher treatment intensity increases the likelihood of leaving unemployment for regular jobs. Our results show that agency employment is even more effective in tight labor markets, where firms use agency employment primarily to screen potential candidates for permanent posts. Finally, our results suggest that agency employment may improve subsequent match quality in terms of wages and job duration.temporary agency employment; stepping stone; employment stability; wages

Looking beyond the bridge: How temporary agency employment affects labor market outcomes

"We perform a comprehensive analysis of the stepping-stone effect of temporary agency employment on unemployed workers. Using the timing-of-events approach, we not only investigate whether agency employment is a bridge into regular em-ployment but also analyze its effect on post-unemployment wages and job stability for unemployed Danish workers. We find evidence of large positive treatment effects, particularly for immigrants. There is also some indication that higher treatment intensity increases the likelihood of leaving unemployment for regular jobs. Our results show that agency employment is even more effective in tight labor markets, where firms use agency employment primarily to screen potential candidates for permanent posts. Finally, our results suggest that agency employment may improve subsequent match quality in terms of wages and job duration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Leiharbeit - Auswirkungen, Arbeitslose, berufliche Reintegration, beruflicher Verbleib, Arbeitsmarktchancen, Beschäftigungseffekte, Arbeitslosigkeitsdauer, Lohnhöhe, Dänemark, Bundesrepublik Deutschland