The Economics of Earnings

This book examines the wages people earn, the jobs they do, and the effect of government labour market policies on wages and employment.

Solomon W. Polachek (Author), W. Stanley Siebert (Author)

9780521367288, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 January 1993

384 pages, 74 b/w illus. 64 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.56 kg

' … this book is a masterful synthesis of theory and evidence. It provides a thoughtful and highly readable presentation of the central questions and methodological issues that constitute current day understanding of, and research on, labor markets.' Southern Economic Journal

The Economics of Earnings analyses the wages that people earn, the jobs they do, and the labour market laws and rules within which they operate. Moving away from the conventional emphasis on point-in-time one-period decisions, it stresses informed worker choice over the life-cycle - the human capital approach. Within this framework, the book synthesises research results so as to point the way to better labour market policies. Government policy is often directed towards labour market issues such as education subsidies, training programmes, health and safety laws, and employment protection laws. By using models based on informed worker choice - the supply side - this book will assist concerned individuals in government, industry and academic study to evaluate and improve labour market policies and practices.

Preface
1. Introduction: the importance of life-cycle analysis
2. The life-cycle human capital model
3. Schooling
4. Post-school investments
5. Labour supply
6. Gender in the labour market
7. Compensating wage differentials and heterogeneous human capital
8. Information and wages
9. Payment systems and internal labour markets
10. Unionisation
References.

Subject Areas: Labour economics [KCF]