In the last twenty years there has been an explosion of economic research on labour force dynamics. This book focuses on the methods by which behavioural theories of labour force dynamics have been empirically implemented.

In the last twenty years there has been an explosion of economic research on labor force dynamics; the movement of individuals between labor force states. This book focuses on the methods by which behavioral theories of labor force dynamics have been empirically implemented. Most attention is paid to the partial equilibrium two-state transitional model of job search behavior. That model is the foundation for much of our thinking about the nature of unemployment at both the individual and aggregate levels. Although the basic formulation has remained the same, approaches to the empirical implementation of such models has changed dramatically.

This volume consists of papers presented at a conference on labor mar ket theory held in August 1982 at Sandbjerg - a manor house situated in S0nderjylland owned by University of Aarhus. The conference was ar ranged to mark the start of a labor market research project utilizing the first Danish longitudinal data set. The conference was meant to present a survey of the recent developments within labor market theory where unemployment at a given time is seen as a result of flows of in dividuals between the various labor market states. Consequently, al most all papers deal with aspects of transitions on the labor market. The first paper by Andersen discusses from a statisticians point of view how it is possible to analyze longitudinal data on labor market dynamics using statistical models for multivariate counting processes. Models including general calendar time specific intensities and models specifying the distribution of spell lengths as well as their combina tions are included. Finally it is demonstrated how the effect of exo genous, endogenous, and other time dependent variables can be model led. This paper does also contain an example of the application of the model.

Well-functioning labour markets are a precondition for economic development. Here leading researchers present an overview of labour market workings providing new theoretical and empirical insights.

This book presents statistical methods for analysis of the duration of events. The primary focus is on models for single-spell data, events in which individual agents are observed for a single duration. Some attention is also given to multiple-spell data. The first part of the book covers model specification, including both structural and reduced form models and models with and without neglected heterogeneity. The book next deals with likelihood based inference about such models, with sections on full and semiparametric specification. A final section treats graphical and numerical methods of specification testing. This is the first published exposition of current econometric methods for the study of duration data.