B020853 - LABOUR ECONOMICS

English

George J. Borjas, Labor Economics, Mc Graw Hill, 2016

The purpose of the course is to give the theoretical and applied tools to understand the economics of labour markets with a special focus on the relationship with development. The first part illustrates how economic models are applied to labour market phenomena, such as labour supply and participation, labour demand by firms, and wage determination under different institutional settings. Furthermore, it is shown how alternative theories can be tested empirically and how economic models can be applied to evaluate the employment effects of economic policies, such as reforms of the labour market and of the welfare system. The second part of the course explores key issues of labour markets in developing countries such as the introduction of a minimum wage, the distinction between formal and informal employment, rural and urban labour markets, the role of education and human capital, the determinants of returns to human capital investments, labour migration and remittances, discrimination and ethnicity, gender gaps, health and nutrition effects on labour productivity. The course is intended for both the curricula in economics and development.

First level Microeconomic and Macroeconomics

Lectures and Seminars

A reading list of the most relevant papers will be provided during the lectures.

Written test and oral presentations during the seminars

Labor supply. Labor demand. Labor market equilibrium. Human capital. The wage structure.Migration. Labor market gender and other discrimination. Unions. Unemployment.

Development issues: The labour market in developing countries. Growth, distribution, employment and poverty. Informality. Wages in developing countries. Labour migration and development. Education and human capital. Labour market institutions.Labour market policies for development.
The future of labour: new forms of employment.