ECON 251 Labor Economics
| ECON 251 Syllabus [Fall 2024] |
Supplemental Readings: Scholarly Articles
Instructor Note: Article information is provided but students are expected to find articles using the SJSU Library and InterLibrary Loan (ILLiad). Students are responsible for reading all articles. Seminar discussions in class will be about the articles read up to that point in the semester.
Week 2: Demand and Elasticity
Hamermesh, Daniel S. 1986. "The demand for labor in the long run." Handbook of Labor Economics, 1: 429-471.
Hamermesh, Daniel S. and Stephen J. Trejo. 2000. "The Demand for Hours of Labor: Direct Evidence from California." Review of Economics and Statistics, 82(1): 38-47.
Hasan, Rana, Devashish Mitra and K.V. Ramaswamy. 2007. "Trade Reforms, Labor Regulations, and Labor-Demand Elasticities: Empirical Evidence from India." Review of Economics and Statistics, 89(3): 466-481.
Module 3: Supply
Banfi, Stefano and Benjamín Villena-Roldán, 2019. "Do High-Wage Jobs Attract More Applicants? Directed Search Evidence from the Online Labor Market," Journal of Labor Economics, 37(3): 715-746.
Becker, Gary. 1965. “A Theory of the Allocation of Time.” Economic Journal, 75(299): 493-517.
Gronau, Reuben. 1977. “Leisure, Home Production, and Work–The Theory of Allocation of Time Revisited.” Journal of Political Economy, 85(6): 1099-1123.
Module 5: Wage Determination
Gibbons, Robert, Lawrence F. Katz, Thomas Lemieux, and Daniel Parent. 2005. "Comparative Advantage, Learning, and Sectoral Wage Determination" Journal of Labor Economics, 23(4): 381-724.
Gruetter, Max and Rafael Lalive. 2009. "The importance of firms in wage determination." Labour Economics, 16(2): 149-160.
Nunziata, Luca. 2005. "Institutions and Wage Determination: a Multi-country Approach." Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 67(4): 435-466.
Module 6: Compensating Differentials and Wage Controls
Carlino, Gerald and N. Edward Coulson. 2004. "Compensating differentials and the social benefits of the NFL." Journal of Urban Economics, 56(1): 25-50.
Jardim, Ekaterina, Mark C. Long, Robert Plotnick, Emma van Inwegen, Jacob Vigdor, and Hilary Wething. 2022. "Minimum-Wage Increases and Low-Wage Employment: Evidence from Seattle," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 14(2): 263-314.
Powell, David. 2012. "Compensating Differentials and Income Taxes: Are the Wages of Dangerous Jobs More Responsive to Tax Changes than the Wages of Safe Jobs?" Journal of Human Resources, 47(4): 1023-1054.
Module 9: Unemployment and Job Search
Eckstein, Zvi, and Gerard van den Berg. 2007. “Empirical Labor Search: A Survey.” Journal of Econometrics, 136(2): 531-564.
Krueger, Alan, and Andreas Mueller. 2016. “A Contribution to the Empirics of Reservation Wages.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(1): 142-179.
Macleod, W. Bentley, James Malcomson, and Paul Gomme. 1994. "Labor Turnover and the Natural Rate of Unemployment: Efficiency Wage versus Frictional Unemployment." Journal of Labor Economics, 12(2): 276-315.
Module 10: Human Capital and Signaling
Ashenfelter, Orley. and Alan Krueger. 1994. “Estimates of the Economic Return to Schooling from a New Sample of Twins.” American Economic Review, 84(5): 1157-1173.
Bowlus, Audra, and Huju Liu. 2013. “The Contributions of Search and Human Capital to Earnings Growth over the Life Cycle.” European Economic Review, 64: 305-331.
Weiss, Andrew. 1995. "Human Capital vs. Signalling Explanations of Wages." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(4): 133-154.
Module 11: Unions and Credentialing
Blair, Peter Q. and Chung, Bobby W. 2019. "How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?" British Journal of Industrial Relations, 57(4): 919-943.
Biasi, Barbara. 2021. "The Labor Market for Teachers Under Different Pay Schemes," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 13(3): 63-102.
Johnson, Janna E., and Morris M. Kleiner. 2020. "Is Occupational Licensing a Barrier to Interstate Migration?" American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12 (3): 347-73.
Module 13: Mobility and Immigration
Boubtane, Ekrame, Jean-Christophe Dumont, and Christophe Rault. 2016. "Immigration and economic growth in the OECD countries 1986–2006." Oxford Economic Papers, 68(2): 340-360.
Clemens, Michael, A. 2011. "Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(3): 83-106.
Sasser, Alicia C. 2010. "Voting with their feet: Relative economic conditions and state migration patterns." Regional Science and Urban Economics, 40(2): 122-135.
Module 14: Discrimination
Ahmed, Ali M., Lina Andersson and Mats Hammarstedt. 2013. "Are Gay Men and Lesbians Discriminated Against in the Hiring Process?" Southern Economic Journal, 79(3): 565-585.
Bertrand, Marianne, and Sendhil Mullainathan. 2004. "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination." American Economic Review, 94 (4): 991-1013.
Goldin, Claudia, Sari Pekkala Kerr, Claudia Olivetti, and Erling Barth. 2017. "The Expanding Gender Earnings Gap: Evidence from the LEHD-2000 Census," American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 107(5): 110-114.
Week 2: Demand and Elasticity
Hamermesh, Daniel S. 1986. "The demand for labor in the long run." Handbook of Labor Economics, 1: 429-471.
Hamermesh, Daniel S. and Stephen J. Trejo. 2000. "The Demand for Hours of Labor: Direct Evidence from California." Review of Economics and Statistics, 82(1): 38-47.
Hasan, Rana, Devashish Mitra and K.V. Ramaswamy. 2007. "Trade Reforms, Labor Regulations, and Labor-Demand Elasticities: Empirical Evidence from India." Review of Economics and Statistics, 89(3): 466-481.
Module 3: Supply
Banfi, Stefano and Benjamín Villena-Roldán, 2019. "Do High-Wage Jobs Attract More Applicants? Directed Search Evidence from the Online Labor Market," Journal of Labor Economics, 37(3): 715-746.
Becker, Gary. 1965. “A Theory of the Allocation of Time.” Economic Journal, 75(299): 493-517.
Gronau, Reuben. 1977. “Leisure, Home Production, and Work–The Theory of Allocation of Time Revisited.” Journal of Political Economy, 85(6): 1099-1123.
Module 5: Wage Determination
Gibbons, Robert, Lawrence F. Katz, Thomas Lemieux, and Daniel Parent. 2005. "Comparative Advantage, Learning, and Sectoral Wage Determination" Journal of Labor Economics, 23(4): 381-724.
Gruetter, Max and Rafael Lalive. 2009. "The importance of firms in wage determination." Labour Economics, 16(2): 149-160.
Nunziata, Luca. 2005. "Institutions and Wage Determination: a Multi-country Approach." Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 67(4): 435-466.
Module 6: Compensating Differentials and Wage Controls
Carlino, Gerald and N. Edward Coulson. 2004. "Compensating differentials and the social benefits of the NFL." Journal of Urban Economics, 56(1): 25-50.
Jardim, Ekaterina, Mark C. Long, Robert Plotnick, Emma van Inwegen, Jacob Vigdor, and Hilary Wething. 2022. "Minimum-Wage Increases and Low-Wage Employment: Evidence from Seattle," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 14(2): 263-314.
Powell, David. 2012. "Compensating Differentials and Income Taxes: Are the Wages of Dangerous Jobs More Responsive to Tax Changes than the Wages of Safe Jobs?" Journal of Human Resources, 47(4): 1023-1054.
Module 9: Unemployment and Job Search
Eckstein, Zvi, and Gerard van den Berg. 2007. “Empirical Labor Search: A Survey.” Journal of Econometrics, 136(2): 531-564.
Krueger, Alan, and Andreas Mueller. 2016. “A Contribution to the Empirics of Reservation Wages.” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(1): 142-179.
Macleod, W. Bentley, James Malcomson, and Paul Gomme. 1994. "Labor Turnover and the Natural Rate of Unemployment: Efficiency Wage versus Frictional Unemployment." Journal of Labor Economics, 12(2): 276-315.
Module 10: Human Capital and Signaling
Ashenfelter, Orley. and Alan Krueger. 1994. “Estimates of the Economic Return to Schooling from a New Sample of Twins.” American Economic Review, 84(5): 1157-1173.
Bowlus, Audra, and Huju Liu. 2013. “The Contributions of Search and Human Capital to Earnings Growth over the Life Cycle.” European Economic Review, 64: 305-331.
Weiss, Andrew. 1995. "Human Capital vs. Signalling Explanations of Wages." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(4): 133-154.
Module 11: Unions and Credentialing
Blair, Peter Q. and Chung, Bobby W. 2019. "How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?" British Journal of Industrial Relations, 57(4): 919-943.
Biasi, Barbara. 2021. "The Labor Market for Teachers Under Different Pay Schemes," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 13(3): 63-102.
Johnson, Janna E., and Morris M. Kleiner. 2020. "Is Occupational Licensing a Barrier to Interstate Migration?" American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12 (3): 347-73.
Module 13: Mobility and Immigration
Boubtane, Ekrame, Jean-Christophe Dumont, and Christophe Rault. 2016. "Immigration and economic growth in the OECD countries 1986–2006." Oxford Economic Papers, 68(2): 340-360.
Clemens, Michael, A. 2011. "Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(3): 83-106.
Sasser, Alicia C. 2010. "Voting with their feet: Relative economic conditions and state migration patterns." Regional Science and Urban Economics, 40(2): 122-135.
Module 14: Discrimination
Ahmed, Ali M., Lina Andersson and Mats Hammarstedt. 2013. "Are Gay Men and Lesbians Discriminated Against in the Hiring Process?" Southern Economic Journal, 79(3): 565-585.
Bertrand, Marianne, and Sendhil Mullainathan. 2004. "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination." American Economic Review, 94 (4): 991-1013.
Goldin, Claudia, Sari Pekkala Kerr, Claudia Olivetti, and Erling Barth. 2017. "The Expanding Gender Earnings Gap: Evidence from the LEHD-2000 Census," American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 107(5): 110-114.
