Reservation wages and starting wages

Authors
Publication date 2011
Series IZA Discussion Paper Series, 5435
Number of pages 35
Publisher Bonn: IZA
Organisations
  • Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) - Amsterdam School of Economics Research Institute (ASE-RI)
Abstract We analyse a unique data set that combines reservation wage and actually paid wage for a large sample of Dutch recent higher education graduates. On average, accepted wages are almost 8% higher than reservation wages, but there is no fixed proportionality. We find that the difference between reservation wage and accepted wage is virtually random, as search theory predicts. We also find that most information contained in the accepted wage is included in the reservation wage, as one would predict if individuals are well informed about the wage structure that characterizes their labour market.
Document type Working paper
Note January 2011
Language English
Published at http://ftp.iza.org/dp5435.pdf
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