This paper provides the first analysis of a population-wide controlled field experiment for home ... more This paper provides the first analysis of a population-wide controlled field experiment for home visits checking on sick leave in the public sector. The experiment was carried out in Italy, a country with large absenteeism in the public sector, and it concerned the universe of public employees. We exploit unique administrative data from the Italian social security administration (INPS) on sick leave and work histories. We find that receiving a home visit reduces the number of days on sick leave in the following 16 months by about 12% (5.5 days). The effect is stronger for workers who are found irregularly on sick leave (-10.2 days). We interpret our findings as a deterrence effect of home visits: workers being found irregularly on sick leave experience a decline of about 2% of their wage in the following 12 months. Uncertainty aversion (there is no automatism in these sanctions) can play a role in these results. Our estimates suggest that home visits are cost-effective: every Euro spent for the visits involves up to 10 Euros reductions in sick benefits outlays. We estimate the marginal value of public funds (MVPF) spent on home visits at about 1.13, which is significantly lower than estimates of MVPF of income taxes in the US.
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research d... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research disseminated by IZA may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper shou...
Journal of the European Economic Association, 2006
Page 1. The Political Economy of Flexicurity Tito Boeri* Universitàa Bocconi, IGIER, and Fondazio... more Page 1. The Political Economy of Flexicurity Tito Boeri* Universitàa Bocconi, IGIER, and Fondazione Rodolfo Debenedetti J. Ignacio Conde"Ruiz Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and FEDEA Vincenzo Galasso Dondena, IGIER, Universitàa Bocconi and CEPR June 2010 ...
This paper summarises the key findings of a recent study on the impact of Eastern Enlargement of ... more This paper summarises the key findings of a recent study on the impact of Eastern Enlargement of the European Union (EU) on labour markets in the current Member States. The study focuses on three main channels along which enlargement may affect labour markets in the EU, namely i) trade, ii) foreign direct investment, and iii) migration. A main conclusion of the study is that trade and capital movements are very unlikely to lead to an equalisation of factor prices. Thus, strong economic incentives to migration are bound to be present. The study indicates that such an influx of migrants will have only a moderate impact on wages and employment even in Austria and Germany. European leaders will soon have to formulate a joint position regarding this fundamental issue. The authors argue for keeping actual migration flows under control for a transitional period.
All former planned economies have started privatization programmes: some (Central and Eastern Eur... more All former planned economies have started privatization programmes: some (Central and Eastern European Countries) are more advanced in transferring property from the state to individuals, others (mostly former Soviet Republics other than Russia) are just starting. Different methods of privatization have been implemented, ranging from mass privatization through voucher schemes to direct sales of enterprises (often to foreigners), and from spontaneous privatization to well-organised transfers of property rights to employees. These different methods have brought about different models, or structures, of corporate governance that affect the way enterprises are responding to market signals, and, more broadly, to the stimuli of the emerging market environment.
In order to cope with its political crisis and to be part of the recovery from the European-wide ... more In order to cope with its political crisis and to be part of the recovery from the European-wide recession, Italy badly needs a middleman; a person with an untarnished reputation; someone people trust. In this paper we recall the main steps that led us to the current confidence crisis. We also argue that Italy had such a middleman, Mario Monti, but his engagement in politics after he had promised not to do so has revealed that promises made even by novel politicians are hardly credible, extending mistrust to anyone who approaches politics. Thus, even if we find another Monti, believing him will be hard.
9. Regulation and Labour Market Performance Tito Boeri, Giuseppe Nicoletti and Stefano Scarpetta1... more 9. Regulation and Labour Market Performance Tito Boeri, Giuseppe Nicoletti and Stefano Scarpetta1 INTRODUCTION The increasing literature on the interaction between liberalisation-integration of product markets and labour market reforms is often highly speculative and draws on a ...
Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for th... more Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for the interdiction and control of illicit radiological and nuclear materials. They are used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies and organizations in various roles for border protection, law enforcement, and nonproliferation monitoring. In order to systematically document the operational performance of the common commercial offthe-shelf portable radiation detection systems, the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office conducted a test and evaluation campaign conducted at the Nevada Test Site from January 18 to February 27, 2006. Named "Anole," it was the first test of its kind in terms of technical design and test complexities. The Anole test results offer users information for selecting appropriate mission-specific portable radiation detection systems. The campaign also offered manufacturers the opportunity to submit their equipment for independent operationally relevant testing to subsequently improve their detector performance. This paper will present the design, execution, and methodologies of the DHS Anole portable radiation detection system test campaign.
In recent years several models have been developed in an attempt to explain countercyclical movem... more In recent years several models have been developed in an attempt to explain countercyclical movements of job turnover, the sum of gross job creation and destruction rates. However, evidence on the behaviour over the cycle of job turnover is far from conclusive. Based on data on eight OECD countries, this paper shows that only in the US a negative and statistically significant correlation between job turnover and employment growth is observed. In the other countries, job turnover is either acyclical or mildly procyclical. Neither do institutional differences among the various labour markets-e.g., related to the degree of "strictness" of employment security regulations-seem to account for these asymmetries in the cyclical behaviour of job turnover between the US and the other countries. Rather than being associated to the greater flexibility of the US compared to the western European labour markets, these asymmetries in the cyclical behaviour of gross job flows have to do with statistical artifacts, namely with the little coverage offered by job turnover statistics in the US of the small business sector and with regression to the mean effects. The plan of the paper is as follows. Section 1 reviews the theoretical literature on countercyclical job flows. Section 2 provides an assessment of available data on job turnover in various countries. Section 3 presents evidence on the behaviour of job turnover rates over the cycle in eight OECD countries. Sections 4 and 5 discuss some possible explanations for the observed asymmetries in the cyclical properties of job turnover between the US and the other countries. Finally, Section 6 highlights other puzzling characteristics of job turnover that have so far received little, if any, attention by theoreticians. Aknowledeements The author wishes to thank John Haltiwanger and participants in a workshop in Berlin for useful comments on an initial draft.
The transition process differed in the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and those of Ce... more The transition process differed in the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and those of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in terms of reallocation of labor real wage, employment and output adjustment. We sift through the theoretical and empirical literature to find an explanation for these diverging adjustment trajectories and conclude that they can be explained by the fact that the CEE countries adopted social policies that upheld wages at the bottom of the distribution forcing the old sector to restructure or collapse while the FSU countries allowed wages to free-fall not forcing the hand of the old sector.
This paper provides the first analysis of a population-wide controlled field experiment for home ... more This paper provides the first analysis of a population-wide controlled field experiment for home visits checking on sick leave in the public sector. The experiment was carried out in Italy, a country with large absenteeism in the public sector, and it concerned the universe of public employees. We exploit unique administrative data from the Italian social security administration (INPS) on sick leave and work histories. We find that receiving a home visit reduces the number of days on sick leave in the following 16 months by about 12% (5.5 days). The effect is stronger for workers who are found irregularly on sick leave (-10.2 days). We interpret our findings as a deterrence effect of home visits: workers being found irregularly on sick leave experience a decline of about 2% of their wage in the following 12 months. Uncertainty aversion (there is no automatism in these sanctions) can play a role in these results. Our estimates suggest that home visits are cost-effective: every Euro spent for the visits involves up to 10 Euros reductions in sick benefits outlays. We estimate the marginal value of public funds (MVPF) spent on home visits at about 1.13, which is significantly lower than estimates of MVPF of income taxes in the US.
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research d... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research disseminated by IZA may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper shou...
Journal of the European Economic Association, 2006
Page 1. The Political Economy of Flexicurity Tito Boeri* Universitàa Bocconi, IGIER, and Fondazio... more Page 1. The Political Economy of Flexicurity Tito Boeri* Universitàa Bocconi, IGIER, and Fondazione Rodolfo Debenedetti J. Ignacio Conde"Ruiz Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and FEDEA Vincenzo Galasso Dondena, IGIER, Universitàa Bocconi and CEPR June 2010 ...
This paper summarises the key findings of a recent study on the impact of Eastern Enlargement of ... more This paper summarises the key findings of a recent study on the impact of Eastern Enlargement of the European Union (EU) on labour markets in the current Member States. The study focuses on three main channels along which enlargement may affect labour markets in the EU, namely i) trade, ii) foreign direct investment, and iii) migration. A main conclusion of the study is that trade and capital movements are very unlikely to lead to an equalisation of factor prices. Thus, strong economic incentives to migration are bound to be present. The study indicates that such an influx of migrants will have only a moderate impact on wages and employment even in Austria and Germany. European leaders will soon have to formulate a joint position regarding this fundamental issue. The authors argue for keeping actual migration flows under control for a transitional period.
All former planned economies have started privatization programmes: some (Central and Eastern Eur... more All former planned economies have started privatization programmes: some (Central and Eastern European Countries) are more advanced in transferring property from the state to individuals, others (mostly former Soviet Republics other than Russia) are just starting. Different methods of privatization have been implemented, ranging from mass privatization through voucher schemes to direct sales of enterprises (often to foreigners), and from spontaneous privatization to well-organised transfers of property rights to employees. These different methods have brought about different models, or structures, of corporate governance that affect the way enterprises are responding to market signals, and, more broadly, to the stimuli of the emerging market environment.
In order to cope with its political crisis and to be part of the recovery from the European-wide ... more In order to cope with its political crisis and to be part of the recovery from the European-wide recession, Italy badly needs a middleman; a person with an untarnished reputation; someone people trust. In this paper we recall the main steps that led us to the current confidence crisis. We also argue that Italy had such a middleman, Mario Monti, but his engagement in politics after he had promised not to do so has revealed that promises made even by novel politicians are hardly credible, extending mistrust to anyone who approaches politics. Thus, even if we find another Monti, believing him will be hard.
9. Regulation and Labour Market Performance Tito Boeri, Giuseppe Nicoletti and Stefano Scarpetta1... more 9. Regulation and Labour Market Performance Tito Boeri, Giuseppe Nicoletti and Stefano Scarpetta1 INTRODUCTION The increasing literature on the interaction between liberalisation-integration of product markets and labour market reforms is often highly speculative and draws on a ...
Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for th... more Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for the interdiction and control of illicit radiological and nuclear materials. They are used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies and organizations in various roles for border protection, law enforcement, and nonproliferation monitoring. In order to systematically document the operational performance of the common commercial offthe-shelf portable radiation detection systems, the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office conducted a test and evaluation campaign conducted at the Nevada Test Site from January 18 to February 27, 2006. Named "Anole," it was the first test of its kind in terms of technical design and test complexities. The Anole test results offer users information for selecting appropriate mission-specific portable radiation detection systems. The campaign also offered manufacturers the opportunity to submit their equipment for independent operationally relevant testing to subsequently improve their detector performance. This paper will present the design, execution, and methodologies of the DHS Anole portable radiation detection system test campaign.
In recent years several models have been developed in an attempt to explain countercyclical movem... more In recent years several models have been developed in an attempt to explain countercyclical movements of job turnover, the sum of gross job creation and destruction rates. However, evidence on the behaviour over the cycle of job turnover is far from conclusive. Based on data on eight OECD countries, this paper shows that only in the US a negative and statistically significant correlation between job turnover and employment growth is observed. In the other countries, job turnover is either acyclical or mildly procyclical. Neither do institutional differences among the various labour markets-e.g., related to the degree of "strictness" of employment security regulations-seem to account for these asymmetries in the cyclical behaviour of job turnover between the US and the other countries. Rather than being associated to the greater flexibility of the US compared to the western European labour markets, these asymmetries in the cyclical behaviour of gross job flows have to do with statistical artifacts, namely with the little coverage offered by job turnover statistics in the US of the small business sector and with regression to the mean effects. The plan of the paper is as follows. Section 1 reviews the theoretical literature on countercyclical job flows. Section 2 provides an assessment of available data on job turnover in various countries. Section 3 presents evidence on the behaviour of job turnover rates over the cycle in eight OECD countries. Sections 4 and 5 discuss some possible explanations for the observed asymmetries in the cyclical properties of job turnover between the US and the other countries. Finally, Section 6 highlights other puzzling characteristics of job turnover that have so far received little, if any, attention by theoreticians. Aknowledeements The author wishes to thank John Haltiwanger and participants in a workshop in Berlin for useful comments on an initial draft.
The transition process differed in the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and those of Ce... more The transition process differed in the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and those of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in terms of reallocation of labor real wage, employment and output adjustment. We sift through the theoretical and empirical literature to find an explanation for these diverging adjustment trajectories and conclude that they can be explained by the fact that the CEE countries adopted social policies that upheld wages at the bottom of the distribution forcing the old sector to restructure or collapse while the FSU countries allowed wages to free-fall not forcing the hand of the old sector.
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