Can active labor market policy be counter-productive?

Journal article: We study active labor market policies (ALMP) in a matching model with heterogenous workers. ALMPs are modeled as a subsidy to job search, and search takes place along an extensive margin. An additional job seeker affects the quality of unemployed workers. As a result, the Hosios conditions for efficiency are no longer valid: to replicate the optimum the worker share in bargaining must exceed the Hosios level, and one must impose a tax on job search activity. We also characterize the coalition in favor of ALMP.

Author(s)

Gilles Saint-Paul

Journal
  • Research in Economics
Date of publication
  • 2015
Keywords
  • Active labor market policies
  • Job matching
  • Hosios condition
Pages
  • 26-36
Version
  • 1
Volume
  • 69