We develop a two-country, dynamic general equilibrium model that links cross-country differences in net foreign asset and consumption dynamics to differences in discount factors and steady-state levels of productivity. We compare the results of the model to those of VARs for the G3 economies. We identify country-specific productivity shocks by assuming that productivity does not respond contemp...

This paper investigates the impact of the introduction of new restrictive permanent contracts on the perceived job security of workers in Spain. The perceived job security is strongly influenced by the characteristics of individuals and their distribution within groups. Comparing heterogeneous groups could make the traditional DID estimator biased. To address this issue I combined the propensit...

This paper investigates the short-term costs and benefits of apprenticeship training in Germany. It calls into question the popular stylised fact that apprenticeship training always leads to net costs during the apprenticeship period. We analyse the impact of the proportion of different occupational groups of apprentices on firm performance. We use representative matched employer–employee panel...

This paper proposes a novel approach to measure and analyze the effect of temperature on electricity demand. This temperature effect is specified as a function of the density of temperatures observed at a high frequency with a functional coefficient, which we call the temperature response function. This approach contrasts with the usual approach to model the temperature effect as a function of ...

Using data from a repeated public good game, I conduct a Granger causality test and find that contributions and beliefs about the contributions of others decline together, with neither variable leading the other. As a result, I model contributions and beliefs using a system of simultaneous equations. Estimating the system provides evidence on the magnitude of the projection bias. Since contribu...

This study presents an empirical analysis of the cost efficiency of a sample of Swiss multi-utilities operating in the distribution of electricity, natural gas and water. The multi-utilities that operate in different sectors are characterized by a strong unobserved heterogeneity. Therefore the measurement of their performance poses an important challenge for the regulators. The purpose of this ...

Both sides of the institutions and growth debate have resorted largely to microeconometric techniques in testing hypotheses. In this paper, I build a panel structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model for a short panel of 119 countries over 10 years and find support for the institutions hypothesis. Controlling for individual fixed effects, I find that exogenous shocks to a proxy for institutio...

This paper develops a new framework and tools, and reexamines Fama-French regressions. For Fama-French portfolios, we consider a continuous-time factor model with a specific error component structure implied by the underlying asset pricing theory. The model is then analyzed as a continuous-time multivariate regression with a general martingale differential error, allowing for time-varying and s...

Most motor bodily injury (BI) claims are settled by negotiation, with fewer than 5% of cases going to court. A well-defined negotiation strategy is thus very useful for insurance companies. In this paper we assume that the monetary compensation awarded in court is the upper amount to be offered by the insurer in the negotiation process. Using a real database, a log-linear model is implemented t...

This paper presents alternative models of behavior of the Argentine gasoline market and applies parametric estimations to analyze the effect that the Repsol-YPF merger had on that market. Using monthly data for the different provinces of Argentina during 1999, we make an evaluation of that effect. We conclude that we cannot reject the hypothesis that the market was a Cournot oligopoly before th...