Browse IFS
Publication types
Journal Articles
September 2010 (The American Economic Association)
Article
Wage Risk and Employment Risk over the Life Cycle
Type: Journal Articles
Authors: Hamish Low, Costas Meghir and Luigi Pistaferri
ISSN: 0002-8282
Volume, issue, pages: Vol. 100, No. 4, pp 1432-1467

Download BibTex file | 

We specify a life-cycle model of consumption, labor supply and job mobility in an economy with search frictions. We distinguish different sources of risk, including shocks to productivity, job arrival, and job destruction. Allowing for job mobility has a large effect on the estimate of productivity risk. Increases in the latter impose a considerable welfare loss. Increases in employment risk have large effects on output and, primarily through this channel, affect welfare. The welfare value of programs such as Food Stamps, partially insuring productivity risk, is greater than the value of unemployment insurance which provides (partial) insurance against employment risk.

Full version (external link)

Search

Title (or part of title)
Author surname (or part of surname)