Flexibility at the Margin and Labor Market Volatility in OECD Countries*
研究了OECD国家中仅影响固定期限合同的边际灵活性如何加剧失业波动，通过匹配模型分析临时与永久工作的解雇成本差异及合同限制，为理解近期波动变化提供新视角。
Abstract We study the business‐cycle behavior of segmented labor markets with flexibility at the margin (e.g., just affecting fixed‐term contracts). We present a matching model with temporary and permanent jobs (i) where there is a gap in the firing costs associated with these types of jobs and (ii) where there are restrictions in the creation and duration of fixed‐term contracts. We show that a labor market with ``flexibility at the margin'' increases the unemployment volatility with respect to one that is fully regulated. This analysis yields new insights into the interpretation of the recent volatility changes witnessed in the OECD area.