Essays in Labor Economics

Abstract

This dissertation consists of three independent essays. The first essay analyses the relationship between Schumpeterian growth and subjective well-being. The second essay investigates whether more generous unemployment insurance leads job seekers to be more selective in the job they are looking for. It estimates the elasticity of the reservation wage and of other dimensions of job selectivity with respect to the potential duration of benefits. The third essay studies whether there remains a causal effect of job loss on health when unemployment insurance is generous, health insurance has universal coverage and active labor market policies are available. It estimates the effect of exogenous job losses in Denmark in the 2000s on purchases of prescription drugs, visits to the doctor, hospital diagnoses and mortality.