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A Formal Test of Assortative Matching in the Labor Market

Author

Listed:
  • John M. Abowd
  • Francis Kramarz
  • Sébastien Pérez-Duarte
  • Ian Schmutte
Abstract
We estimate a structural model of job assignment in the presence of coordination frictions due to Shimer (2005). The coordination friction model places restrictions on the joint distribution of worker and firm effects from a linear decomposition of log labor earnings. These restrictions permit estimation of the unobservable ability and productivity differences between workers and their employers as well as the way workers sort into jobs on the basis of these unobservable factors. The estimation is performed on matched employer-employee data from the LEHD program of the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimated correlation between worker and firm effects from the earnings decomposition is close to zero, a finding that is often interpreted as evidence that there is no sorting by comparative advantage in the labor market. Our estimates suggest that this finding actually results from a lack of sufficient heterogeneity in the workforce and available jobs. Workers do sort into jobs on the basis of productive differences, but the effects of sorting are not visible because of the composition of workers and employers.

Suggested Citation

  • John M. Abowd & Francis Kramarz & Sébastien Pérez-Duarte & Ian Schmutte, 2009. "A Formal Test of Assortative Matching in the Labor Market," NBER Working Papers 15546, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15546
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dobbelaere, Sabien & Mairesse, Jacques, 2018. "Comparing micro-evidence on rent sharing from two different econometric models," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 18-26.
    2. Fredrik Andersson & Elizabeth E. Davis & Matthew L. Freedman & Julia I. Lane & Brian P. Mccall & Kristin Sandusky, 2012. "Decomposing the Sources of Earnings Inequality: Assessing the Role of Reallocation," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 779-810, October.
    3. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/78hlmdbud88hhp5vbdddivv2hu is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Jeremy Lise & Costas Meghir & Jean-Marc Robin, 2013. "Mismatch, Sorting and Wages Dynamics," Working Papers hal-03473908, HAL.
    5. Richard Duhautois & Fabrice Gilles & Héloïse Petit, 2009. "Worker flows, job flows and establishment wage differentials: Analysing the case of France," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00646440, HAL.
    6. Richard Duhautois & Fabrice Gilles & Héloïse Petit, 2012. "Worker flows and establishment wage differentials : a breakdown of the relationship," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00833872, HAL.
    7. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6ggbvnr6munghes9od0s108ro is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Jeremy Lise & Costas Meghir & Jean-Marc Robin, 2016. "Matching, Sorting and Wages," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 19, pages 63-87, January.
    9. Mikael Carlsson & Julián Messina & Oskar Nordström Skans, 2016. "Wage Adjustment and Productivity Shocks," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(595), pages 1739-1773, September.
    10. Grimpe, Christoph & Kaiser, Ulrich & Sofka, Wolfgang, 2018. "Innovating for the Better? The Role of Advocacy Group Work Experience for Employee Pay," IZA Discussion Papers 11649, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6ggbvnr6munghes9od0s108ro is not listed on IDEAS
    12. David J. Deming, 2017. "The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 132(4), pages 1593-1640.
    13. Andrews, M.J. & Gill, L. & Schank, T. & Upward, R., 2012. "High wage workers match with high wage firms: Clear evidence of the effects of limited mobility bias," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 824-827.
    14. GORYUNOV, Maxim, 2017. "Sorting when firms have size," Economics Working Papers MWP 2017/09, European University Institute.
    15. Araújo, Bruno César & Paz, Lourenço S., 2014. "The effects of exporting on wages: An evaluation using the 1999 Brazilian exchange rate devaluation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1-16.
    16. Barth, Erling & Bratsberg, Bernt & Raaum, Oddbjørn, 2012. "Immigrant wage profiles within and between establishments," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 541-556.
    17. Schmutte, Ian M., 2014. "Free to Move? A Network Analytic Approach for Learning the Limits to Job Mobility," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 49-61.
    18. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/32h1padvln887b3u0epa07o4ub is not listed on IDEAS
    19. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/78hlmdbud88hhp5vbdddivv2hu is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Chia-Hui Chen & Junichiro Ishida, 2015. "A Tenure-Clock Problem," ISER Discussion Paper 0919, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    21. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/32h1padvln887b3u0epa07o4ub is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jeremy Lise & Costas Meghir & Jean-Marc Robin, 2016. "Matching, Sorting, and Wages," SciencePo Working papers hal-03392023, HAL.
    23. Antonio Filippin & Jan C. Ours, 2015. "Positive Assortative Matching: Evidence from Sports Data," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 401-421, July.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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