ECON 430

 

LABOR ECONOMICS

 

Tom Larson

 

 

 

Fall 2005

Simpson Tower F908

 

 

 

 

Phone: (323) 343-2938

 

 

 

 

Dept.: (323) 343-2930

 

 

 

 

Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:30

 

 

 

 

E-mail: use WebCT course site: Econ430

 

Required Texts: The Economics of Labor Markets, 7th Edition, Bruce Kaufman and Julie Hotchkiss. The text has a web site: http://kaufman.swcollege.com. Discrimination, Robert Cherry (on reserve in the library). MIGRATION

Readings: The Economics of Women, Men and Work, 4th Edition, Francine Blau, Marianne A. Ferber and Anne E. Winkler. Chapters 3, 4, 5, 11 (on reserve).

Juliet Schor, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure, Chapters 1-3,  (on reserve).

 

Some short articles will also be discussed and will be available on the class website.

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Class Web Site: http://www.calstatela.edu/webct. At this page you can create your WebCT account.  On your first visit, you will need to locate the course listing so it can be added to your WebCT account. Go to See courses. From here, go to the College of Business and Economics page and then select Econ430 from the course list.  Once at Econ430, click on the “plus” icon and then self-register for the course. You will need internet access and a web browser (preferably Netscape or Internet Explorer).

The web site contains a variety of features, including online quizzes, course syllabus, a discussion site, course notes, etc.  You should familiarize yourself with the website as soon as possible. 

 

 

            Labor economics covers how individuals seek, find, keep and change jobs as well as how firm demand for various types of labor is determined.  The decision regarding work also involves decisions about home life and leisure, which we will also examine. In addition, labor economics covers a wide range of specific topics from self-investment to industrial relations to productivity growth to discrimination and income inequality.  Both micro and macro issues are addressed by the field.  Labor analysis is complicated by the fact that labor is not a commodity and is affected by physiological needs and behavior patterns that can be ignored in commodity markets.

 

            In the 1980s and 1990s, labor economists helped to break new ground in economics with efficient wage theories and cooperative labor-management theories while continuing to work on policies to cope with inflation while combating unemployment.  There has also been renewed interest in work on discrimination and we will cover topics on income distribution and equality of employment opportunity.

 

 

 

LABOR ECONOMICS

Weekly Assignments and Lectures: DRAFT 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK

TOPIC

 

 

 

CHAPTER

 

 

 

1.

Introduction: What is labor economics?  What is happening to the American standard of living?

K&H:1,2,

 

 

 

2.

Labor Supply: theories of allocating time to work.

K&H: 3

 

An institutionalist approach to women's work.

BFW: 3, 4

 

Homework assignment 1

Schor: 1-3

 

Quiz 1 – K&H Chapter 2 (online, Friday, Oct. 7)

 

3.

Labor Demand: marginal productivity theory and derived demand.  Neoclassical and Institutional theories.

K&H: 4, 5

 

Homework assignment 2

 

 

 

 

4.

Wage Differentials: A first Look

K&H: 6

 

Human Capital Theory: the impact of education and training on earnings.

K&H: 7

BFW: 6

 

Quiz 2 – K&H Chapter 3 (online, Friday, Oct 21)

 

5.

Wage Differences (cont).

K&H: 8

 

 

BFW: 5

6

Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Labor Market

MIDTERM

K&H: 9

 

 

 

7.

Inequality in Earnings: observed differentials, theories of discrimination and changes in inequality

BFW: 7

Cherry: 1-5

 

Quiz 3 K&H Chapter 9 (online, Friday, Nov 11)

 

 

Homework Assignment 3

 

8.

Inequality continued.

BFW: 8

 

Homework Assigment 4

 

9.

Unemployment: search theory, unemployment insurance and macro issues. Union impacts on the economy

K&H: 13

K&H: 12

 

Quiz 4: K&H Chapter 13 (Online, Friday Nov 25)

 

10.

Migration and Labor Conditions Around the  World

BFW:  11

 

 

 

There will be a midterm (25% of total grade), final (30%), term paper (20%), 4 quizzes (5%) and 4 homework assignments (15%). In addition credit will be given for course participation (5%), which will largely consist of attendance and discussion (either in class or via the course website).

Homework: homework is due one week from when it is assigned.

Midterm: Essay questions.

Final: in class on December 5, 7:30-10:00PM.

Grading: The course grades will be assigned as follows:

A         90-100%

B         80-89%

C         65-79%

D         55-64%