AØKK08330U Seminar: Macro Labour Economics
MSc of Economics
The seminar is primary for students at the MSc of
Economics
This course will primarily be based on search & matching models of the labour market. These models are designed to explain the existence of unemployment and of wage dispersion across similar workers. Several policy issues can be addressed using these models, cf. the list of subjects below.
The aim of this seminar is for the students to write and present a seminar paper that documents an in-depth theoretical and/or empirical research-based investigation of a specific topic within the intersection of macroeconomics and labour economics.
Potential subjects include (but are in no way restricted to):
What is the optimal design of the unemployment insurance system?
Should unemployment insurance be business cycle dependent?
How do unemployment insurance systems vary across countries? And why?
What are the labour market effects of introducing in-work-benefits (a la the Danish Beskæftigelsesfradrag)?
How can workfare (activation) be useful in achieving an improved trade-off between incentives and insurance?
Why are similar workers paid differently?
Is the search-matching model able to explain stylized business cycle facts?
Is the search-matching model a useful description of labour markets, or do there exist alternative models that perform better?
For those unfamiliar with search & matching models, a good starting point would be
Pissarides, Christopher (2000), Equilibrium Unemployment Theory, 2nd edition, MIT Press, 2000
Rogerson, Richard, Robert Shimer and Randall Wright (2005), Search-Theoretic Models of the Labor Market: A Survey, Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. XLIII, pp. 959–988.
Having followed Labour Economics may be an advantage, but is not a prerequisite. It is, however, a necessity to have high-level analytical skills and economic intuition.
During the semester writing project proposal, seminar paper and presentations e.g. 7-8 December 2015 (hole day).
More information about seminars at
https://intranet.ku.dk/economics_ma/study_programme/seminars/Pages/default.aspx
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 1
- Project work
- 187
- Seminar
- 18
- Total
- 206
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentOral examination, 60 min under invigilationA written seminar paper and a 40 minuts oral presentation for the others participans at the seminar and 15 minuts of discussion.
- Exam registration requirements
Attendance on the seminar. The mandatory commitment paper and seminar paper have been handed in at deadline.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
All papers in the seminar are allowed.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
up to 20 % censorship at the seminarpaper
- Exam period
The students must submit a project proposal on October 1 2015 (or before). Afterwards, the students and the lecturer correspond on the proposal.
The final seminar paper must be uploaded on November 25.
- Re-exam
As ordinary.
Criteria for exam assesment
The student must in a satisfactory way demonstrate that he/she has mastered the learning outcome of the course.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- AØKK08330U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- Autumn (36-50)
- Study board
- Department of Economics, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Economics
Course responsibles
- Søren Hove Ravn (15-7773766972326c737a693276657a724469677372326f7932686f)
Lecturers
Mark Strøm Kristoffersen, Economist in Danmarks Nationalbank, Research Section of the Economics Department. PhD from Aarhus University E-mail: msk@nationalbanken.dk