New IZA DPs -- Labor
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IZA Publications
Sep 16, 2025, 1:42:05 PM (12 days ago) Sep 16
to it...@umich.edu
Dear Italo Gutierrez,
These new IZA Discussion Papers are now available online.
DP 18088 - Kelly/Maitre:
The Labour Market Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Disabilities: The Case of Ireland
DP 18089 - Artz/Siemers/Li:
Work-from-Home Desires in the Post-COVID Workplace: Managerial and Gender Heterogeneity
DP 18094 - Ziegler:
How Do Caseworkers Affect Job Search Outcomes?
DP 18096 - Gagnon/Bosmans/Riedl:
Unfair Chances and Labor Supply
DP 18098 - Cullen/Dahl/De Thorpe:
Job Mismatch and Early Career Success
DP 18100 - Kumar/Singh/Kumar Gautam/Singh:
Calorie Consumption and Wages: Evidence from India’s Labor Market
DP 18101 - Lyu/Fossen:
How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Businesses in the United States?
DP 18106 - Lavecchia/Stutely:
Earnings Responses to Social Security Contributions: Evidence from Older Workers in Canada
DP 18109 - Silliman/Willén:
Beyond Training: Worker Agency, Informal Learning, and Competition
Please find the abstracts and download links below.
You might also be interested in this IZA World of Labor content:
Overeducation, skill mismatches, and labor market outcomes for college graduates
IZA DP No. 18088
Elish Kelly, Bertrand Maitre:
The Labour Market Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Disabilities: The Case of Ireland
Abstract:
The COVID-19 health pandemic had a profound impact on labour markets worldwide, disproportionately affecting subgroups of the population, including individuals with disabilities. Despite extensive research on the broader impacts of the pandemic, there remains a notable gap in the literature concerning the labour market impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities. This paper attempts to fill this gap for Ireland by examining the impact of the pandemic on disabled peoples’ unemployment status. The paper finds that individuals with disabilities were 2.7 percentage points more likely to be unemployed during the pandemic compared to those without disabilities. Even in 2023, people with disabilities remained more likely to be unemployed. However, our year interaction models revealed that the impact of disabilities on unemployment risk remained largely stable during and after the pandemic.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18088.pdf
IZA DP No. 18089
Benjamin Artz, Sarinda Siemers, Tianfang Li:
Work-from-Home Desires in the Post-COVID Workplace: Managerial and Gender Heterogeneity
Abstract:
This study explores preferences for work-from-home (WFH) among U.S. wage and salaried workers in the post-COVID era with a focus on gender and managerial heterogeneity. Using data from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes collected between April 2023 and January 2024, we analyze how demographic and work-related factors influence WFH preferences. Our findings reveal that women generally express a stronger preference for WFH than men. However, a nuanced picture emerges for female managers, particularly those aged 40 and older, who prefer fewer WFH days compared to non-manager women. Furthermore, we find that higher education, the presence of children, higher incomes, and racial minority groups (specifically Black and Hispanic individuals) are positively associated with a greater desire for WFH. These findings underscore the complex interplay among individual circumstances, the pursuit of work-life balance, leadership approaches, and persistent gender norms within ho useholds and workplaces that shape WFH preferences. Understanding these factors is crucial for organizations to design inclusive workplace policies and cultures that benefit both employees and the organization.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18089.pdf
IZA DP No. 18094
Lennart Ziegler:
How Do Caseworkers Affect Job Search Outcomes?
Abstract:
This paper examines how caseworkers influence job finding rates and job quality. To rule out selection effects, I exploit that caseworkers are assigned based on the jobseekers’ month of birth in some offices of the Austrian public employment service. Combining administrative data on caseworkers and jobseekers, I compute value-added measures for multiple jobseeker outcomes. A one-standard-deviation increase in caseworker performance corresponds to six additional days of employment in the first year and two percent higher earnings. For older workers and workers of foreign nationality, I observe the largest differences in caseworker performance. Employment and earnings effects are positively correlated, suggesting that faster job finding does not come at the expense of job quality. Analyzing differences in caseworker strategies, I find that caseworkers who refer more vacancies to jobseekers achieve higher employment rates, and those who refer better-paying jobs also achieve high er earnings. In contrast, frequent use of training programs or benefit sanctions is associated with worse job search outcomes.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18094.pdf
IZA DP No. 18096
Nickolas Gagnon, Kristof Bosmans, Arno Riedl:
Unfair Chances and Labor Supply
Abstract:
We conduct an online experiment to study how the unfairness of chances leading to wage inequality affects labor supply decisions. We find that, at a given wage, disadvantageous wage inequality reduces labor supply, but whether this inequality stems from fair or unfair chances does not matter. That is, a procedure with fair chances does not compensate for wage inequality. Our results stand in stark contrast to prior empirical evidence showing that individuals care about fair chances when making equity judgments.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18096.pdf
IZA DP No. 18098
Julie Berry Cullen, Gordon B. Dahl, Richard De Thorpe:
Job Mismatch and Early Career Success
Abstract:
We estimate the effects of being over- or underqualified for a job using quasi-random assignment of new enlistees to over 130 different jobs in the US Air Force. Being overqualified causes higher attrition, both during technical training and afterward when individuals are working in their assigned jobs. It also results in more behavioral problems, worse performance evaluations, and lower scores on general knowledge tests about the military taken by all workers. On the other hand, overqualification results in better performance relative to others in the same job: job-specific test scores rise both during technical training and while on the job, and these individuals are more likely to be promoted. Combined, these patterns suggest that overqualified individuals are less motivated, but still outperform others in their same job. Underqualification results in a polar opposite set of findings, suggesting these individuals are motivated to put forth more effort, but still struggle t o compete when judged relative to others. Consistent with differential incentives, individuals who are overqualified are in jobs which are less valuable in terms of outside earnings potential, while the reverse is true for those who are underqualified.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18098.pdf
IZA DP No. 18100
Kaushalendra Kumar, Ashish Singh, Santosh Kumar Gautam, Abhishek Singh:
Calorie Consumption and Wages: Evidence from India’s Labor Market
Abstract:
Using nationally representative data from India, this study estimates the effect of calorie intake on wages. To account for endogeneity and heterogeneity, we apply Instrumental Variable and Instrumental Variable Quantile Regression methods. Results suggest that higher calorie consumption positively affects workers’ wages. A 10% increase in per capita calorie intake per day leads to a 2.5% increase in daily wages. The wage effect varies by occupation type and across the wage distribution; the marginal effect of calorie intake on wage is higher at lower quantiles of the wage distribution and for non-elementary workers. Our findings highlight the need for nutritional supplementation, particularly for workers at low and median wage levels, to maximize the wage gains from nutritional public policies.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18100.pdf
IZA DP No. 18101
Ke Lyu, Frank M. Fossen:
How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Businesses in the United States?
Abstract:
This paper investigates the impact of minimum wage increases on nonemployer business establishments in the United States. We develop a theoretical model of occupational choice and estimate effects using panel data from the Nonemployer Statistics (2001-2020). Our identification strategy compares contiguous counties across state borders. Results show that a $1 increase in the minimum wage reduces the number of nonemployers by 0.5%-0.9%, likely due to relatively more attractive wage jobs. The effect is smaller in counties with higher shares of minorities, females, and lower education, while the transportation sector expands due to the gig economy. Further analysis reveals that higher minimum wages discourage transitions from nonemployer to employer status and increase shifts from self-employment to wage work or unemployment, showing how this regulation shapes entrepreneurship dynamics.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18101.pdf
IZA DP No. 18106
Adam M. Lavecchia, James Stutely:
Earnings Responses to Social Security Contributions: Evidence from Older Workers in Canada
Abstract:
This paper documents sharp bunching in third-party reported employment earnings at a basic exemption for social security contributions among older workers. Beginning in 2012, workers age 60-64 who were receiving a public pension were required to make social security contributions equal to 9.9 percent of their employment earnings above a basic exemption threshold of $3,500. Using administrative data on third-party reported earnings and a differences-in- bunching estimator we document sharp bunching at the $3,500 threshold. We argue that our results represent new evidence on the role of firms in mediating the earnings response to payroll taxes.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18106.pdf
IZA DP No. 18109
Mikko Silliman, Alexander Willén:
Beyond Training: Worker Agency, Informal Learning, and Competition
Abstract:
This paper reconsiders how labor market competition shapes skill development --- integrating the perspectives of both firms and workers. We show that competition serves as a catalyst for learning. It creates outside opportunities which incentivize workers to invest in their own skills, and it imposes innovation pressure that raises the value of training for firms. Using linked Norwegian survey and administrative data together with vignette experiments, we find that workers in more competitive markets accumulate skills faster than workers in concentrated markets—primarily through informal learning—and that these gains are concentrated in higher-order, transferable skills. Firms in competitive environments also invest more in formal training, treating it as a strategic necessity rather than a dispensable cost. Experimental evidence complements these findings by showing that both workers and managers expect greater returns to learning and human capital investments in competitive markets. Together, these results challenge the canonical view of competition as a source of market failure in training and instead highlight its role in facilitating both worker-led and firm-led investments in human capital.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18109.pdf
Please click here to change your subscription status.
If you have trouble downloading the papers, or for any other questions regarding the IZA Discussion Paper Series, contact public...@iza.org.
These new IZA Discussion Papers are now available online.
DP 18088 - Kelly/Maitre:
The Labour Market Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Disabilities: The Case of Ireland
DP 18089 - Artz/Siemers/Li:
Work-from-Home Desires in the Post-COVID Workplace: Managerial and Gender Heterogeneity
DP 18094 - Ziegler:
How Do Caseworkers Affect Job Search Outcomes?
DP 18096 - Gagnon/Bosmans/Riedl:
Unfair Chances and Labor Supply
DP 18098 - Cullen/Dahl/De Thorpe:
Job Mismatch and Early Career Success
DP 18100 - Kumar/Singh/Kumar Gautam/Singh:
Calorie Consumption and Wages: Evidence from India’s Labor Market
DP 18101 - Lyu/Fossen:
How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Businesses in the United States?
DP 18106 - Lavecchia/Stutely:
Earnings Responses to Social Security Contributions: Evidence from Older Workers in Canada
DP 18109 - Silliman/Willén:
Beyond Training: Worker Agency, Informal Learning, and Competition
Please find the abstracts and download links below.
You might also be interested in this IZA World of Labor content:
Overeducation, skill mismatches, and labor market outcomes for college graduates
IZA DP No. 18088
Elish Kelly, Bertrand Maitre:
The Labour Market Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals with Disabilities: The Case of Ireland
Abstract:
The COVID-19 health pandemic had a profound impact on labour markets worldwide, disproportionately affecting subgroups of the population, including individuals with disabilities. Despite extensive research on the broader impacts of the pandemic, there remains a notable gap in the literature concerning the labour market impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities. This paper attempts to fill this gap for Ireland by examining the impact of the pandemic on disabled peoples’ unemployment status. The paper finds that individuals with disabilities were 2.7 percentage points more likely to be unemployed during the pandemic compared to those without disabilities. Even in 2023, people with disabilities remained more likely to be unemployed. However, our year interaction models revealed that the impact of disabilities on unemployment risk remained largely stable during and after the pandemic.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18088.pdf
IZA DP No. 18089
Benjamin Artz, Sarinda Siemers, Tianfang Li:
Work-from-Home Desires in the Post-COVID Workplace: Managerial and Gender Heterogeneity
Abstract:
This study explores preferences for work-from-home (WFH) among U.S. wage and salaried workers in the post-COVID era with a focus on gender and managerial heterogeneity. Using data from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes collected between April 2023 and January 2024, we analyze how demographic and work-related factors influence WFH preferences. Our findings reveal that women generally express a stronger preference for WFH than men. However, a nuanced picture emerges for female managers, particularly those aged 40 and older, who prefer fewer WFH days compared to non-manager women. Furthermore, we find that higher education, the presence of children, higher incomes, and racial minority groups (specifically Black and Hispanic individuals) are positively associated with a greater desire for WFH. These findings underscore the complex interplay among individual circumstances, the pursuit of work-life balance, leadership approaches, and persistent gender norms within ho useholds and workplaces that shape WFH preferences. Understanding these factors is crucial for organizations to design inclusive workplace policies and cultures that benefit both employees and the organization.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18089.pdf
IZA DP No. 18094
Lennart Ziegler:
How Do Caseworkers Affect Job Search Outcomes?
Abstract:
This paper examines how caseworkers influence job finding rates and job quality. To rule out selection effects, I exploit that caseworkers are assigned based on the jobseekers’ month of birth in some offices of the Austrian public employment service. Combining administrative data on caseworkers and jobseekers, I compute value-added measures for multiple jobseeker outcomes. A one-standard-deviation increase in caseworker performance corresponds to six additional days of employment in the first year and two percent higher earnings. For older workers and workers of foreign nationality, I observe the largest differences in caseworker performance. Employment and earnings effects are positively correlated, suggesting that faster job finding does not come at the expense of job quality. Analyzing differences in caseworker strategies, I find that caseworkers who refer more vacancies to jobseekers achieve higher employment rates, and those who refer better-paying jobs also achieve high er earnings. In contrast, frequent use of training programs or benefit sanctions is associated with worse job search outcomes.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18094.pdf
IZA DP No. 18096
Nickolas Gagnon, Kristof Bosmans, Arno Riedl:
Unfair Chances and Labor Supply
Abstract:
We conduct an online experiment to study how the unfairness of chances leading to wage inequality affects labor supply decisions. We find that, at a given wage, disadvantageous wage inequality reduces labor supply, but whether this inequality stems from fair or unfair chances does not matter. That is, a procedure with fair chances does not compensate for wage inequality. Our results stand in stark contrast to prior empirical evidence showing that individuals care about fair chances when making equity judgments.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18096.pdf
IZA DP No. 18098
Julie Berry Cullen, Gordon B. Dahl, Richard De Thorpe:
Job Mismatch and Early Career Success
Abstract:
We estimate the effects of being over- or underqualified for a job using quasi-random assignment of new enlistees to over 130 different jobs in the US Air Force. Being overqualified causes higher attrition, both during technical training and afterward when individuals are working in their assigned jobs. It also results in more behavioral problems, worse performance evaluations, and lower scores on general knowledge tests about the military taken by all workers. On the other hand, overqualification results in better performance relative to others in the same job: job-specific test scores rise both during technical training and while on the job, and these individuals are more likely to be promoted. Combined, these patterns suggest that overqualified individuals are less motivated, but still outperform others in their same job. Underqualification results in a polar opposite set of findings, suggesting these individuals are motivated to put forth more effort, but still struggle t o compete when judged relative to others. Consistent with differential incentives, individuals who are overqualified are in jobs which are less valuable in terms of outside earnings potential, while the reverse is true for those who are underqualified.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18098.pdf
IZA DP No. 18100
Kaushalendra Kumar, Ashish Singh, Santosh Kumar Gautam, Abhishek Singh:
Calorie Consumption and Wages: Evidence from India’s Labor Market
Abstract:
Using nationally representative data from India, this study estimates the effect of calorie intake on wages. To account for endogeneity and heterogeneity, we apply Instrumental Variable and Instrumental Variable Quantile Regression methods. Results suggest that higher calorie consumption positively affects workers’ wages. A 10% increase in per capita calorie intake per day leads to a 2.5% increase in daily wages. The wage effect varies by occupation type and across the wage distribution; the marginal effect of calorie intake on wage is higher at lower quantiles of the wage distribution and for non-elementary workers. Our findings highlight the need for nutritional supplementation, particularly for workers at low and median wage levels, to maximize the wage gains from nutritional public policies.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18100.pdf
IZA DP No. 18101
Ke Lyu, Frank M. Fossen:
How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Businesses in the United States?
Abstract:
This paper investigates the impact of minimum wage increases on nonemployer business establishments in the United States. We develop a theoretical model of occupational choice and estimate effects using panel data from the Nonemployer Statistics (2001-2020). Our identification strategy compares contiguous counties across state borders. Results show that a $1 increase in the minimum wage reduces the number of nonemployers by 0.5%-0.9%, likely due to relatively more attractive wage jobs. The effect is smaller in counties with higher shares of minorities, females, and lower education, while the transportation sector expands due to the gig economy. Further analysis reveals that higher minimum wages discourage transitions from nonemployer to employer status and increase shifts from self-employment to wage work or unemployment, showing how this regulation shapes entrepreneurship dynamics.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18101.pdf
IZA DP No. 18106
Adam M. Lavecchia, James Stutely:
Earnings Responses to Social Security Contributions: Evidence from Older Workers in Canada
Abstract:
This paper documents sharp bunching in third-party reported employment earnings at a basic exemption for social security contributions among older workers. Beginning in 2012, workers age 60-64 who were receiving a public pension were required to make social security contributions equal to 9.9 percent of their employment earnings above a basic exemption threshold of $3,500. Using administrative data on third-party reported earnings and a differences-in- bunching estimator we document sharp bunching at the $3,500 threshold. We argue that our results represent new evidence on the role of firms in mediating the earnings response to payroll taxes.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18106.pdf
IZA DP No. 18109
Mikko Silliman, Alexander Willén:
Beyond Training: Worker Agency, Informal Learning, and Competition
Abstract:
This paper reconsiders how labor market competition shapes skill development --- integrating the perspectives of both firms and workers. We show that competition serves as a catalyst for learning. It creates outside opportunities which incentivize workers to invest in their own skills, and it imposes innovation pressure that raises the value of training for firms. Using linked Norwegian survey and administrative data together with vignette experiments, we find that workers in more competitive markets accumulate skills faster than workers in concentrated markets—primarily through informal learning—and that these gains are concentrated in higher-order, transferable skills. Firms in competitive environments also invest more in formal training, treating it as a strategic necessity rather than a dispensable cost. Experimental evidence complements these findings by showing that both workers and managers expect greater returns to learning and human capital investments in competitive markets. Together, these results challenge the canonical view of competition as a source of market failure in training and instead highlight its role in facilitating both worker-led and firm-led investments in human capital.
https://docs.iza.org/dp18109.pdf
Please click here to change your subscription status.
If you have trouble downloading the papers, or for any other questions regarding the IZA Discussion Paper Series, contact public...@iza.org.
IZA Publications
Sep 16, 2025, 1:43:56 PM (12 days ago) Sep 16
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