A structural approach to modelling South African labour market decisions

Date
2016-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Youth unemployment is high in South Africa and especially high among black males. The slow absorption of young black males into the employment is somewhat surprising given that the descriptive statistics suggest that employment mobility in South Africa is high. In the first chapter, I investigate whether the labour market is truly as mobile as reported or whether the transition estimate is rather a reflection of misclassification error or unobserved individual heterogeneity. Thereafter, in chapter two, I proceed to examine the role of reservation wages on unemployment. Unlike previous studies I do not make use of self-reported reservation wages. Instead I use a job search model to recover the reservation wages that are consistent with the behaviour we observe in the labour market. In the final chapter, I look at the role of education on labour market outcomes. More specifically, at whether ability bias is present and whether current estimates are inflated. I do so through a dynamic programming model that mimics the schooling decision for forward-looking optimizing agents.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werkloosheid onder die jeug is hoog in Suid-Afrika en veral hoog onder swart mans. Die stadige indiensnamekoers van swart mans is ietwat verrassend gegewe dat konvensionele modelle daarop dui dat die mobiliteit van indiensname in Suid-Afrika hoog is. In die eerste hoofstuk, word daar ondersoek of die arbeidsmark werklik so mobiel is soos gerapporteer word en of die huidige beraamings van mobiliteit nie liewer ‘n aanduiding van metingsfout of heterogeniteit is nie. Daarna, in hoofstuk twee, word daar gekyk na die die rol van reserwelone op werkloosheid. Liewer as om gebruik te maak van selfgerapporteerde reserwelone ontwikkel ek ‘n indiensnamemodel om die reserwelone te vind wat ooreenstem met die gedrag in die arbeidsmark. In die laaste hoofstuk, kyk ek na die rol van onderwys op arbeidsmark uitkomste. Ek ondersoek of die huidige oprengskoers vir opvoeding sydig is wanneer mens versuim om te kontroleer vir die effek van vermoens. Ek gebruik 'n dinamiese programmering model wat my in staat stel om die optimale hoeveel opvoeding vir toekomsgerigte individu te beraam.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.
Keywords
Labor market -- South Africa, Labor mobility -- South Africa, Unemployment -- South Africa, UCTD, Wages -- South Africa, Reservation wage -- South Africa, Education -- South Africa
Citation