Basic microeconomics and basic statistics (descriptive analysis and inference) are useful to fruitfully attend the course.
The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the empirical analysis of the labour market, with special attention to topics related to human resources management within organizations (personnel economics). More specifically, students will have the chance to both apply some basic statistical and econometric methods to specific topics related to the labour market and to test with real-world data the main labour economics theories.
Special attention will be devoted to the economic interpretation of the results and to their policy implications.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1) define a research question related to the labor market and/or personnel economics; 2) identify and/or collect data to empirically answer this question; 3) define and implement the empirical analysis; 4) provide some policy recommendations on the basis of the main results.
The course will cover the following topics:
1. Introduction to the empirical analysis in labour economics: Identification strategies; Data types and collection; Measurement issues; Desriptive analysis
2. Investment in skills: returns to education and the role of cognitive and non-cognitive skills
3. Wage equation and sample selection
4. Labour market discrimination
5. Incentives in organizations
6. Big Data and the role of HR analytics
Teaching will be based on traditional lectures, reading groups and applied labs using Stata (one of the most used software worldwide for statistics and data science). In the Lab students will have the chance to put their hands on real-world data and to replicate some of the empirical studies discussed during lectures.
The evaluation of this course will be based on a take-home empirical project (50% of the final mark) and a final written test (50% of the final mark).
The empirical project will consist of a short report (2000-2500 words, including tables and figures) in which the students have to carry out an empirical analysis on a specific topic of labour/personnel economics. Students can work either alone or in team and choose their own topic or follow the guidelines proposed by the professor.
The final test will consist of multiple choice and open questions on the topics covered by the course.
A minimum score of 18/30 in both the empirical project and the written test is required to pass the course.
Non-attending students will be evaluated on the basis of a final written test (see other info).
Evaluation of non-attending students will be based only on a final written test. The structure of the latter will be similar to that of the test taken by attending students, but it will be longer, since it will cover also the topics that are evaluated through the empirical project in the case of attending students (especially Stata use and output interpretation).
NOTE: The current syllabus could be marginally changed if the course will be taught online or with a blend of online and face-to-face lectures.