register
Fabien Postel-Vinay

University College London and Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK, and IZA, Germany

In my opinion, IZA World of Labor provides the most accessible and useful point of contact between academic labor economists and decision makers. It is a fantastic resource, to which I am thrilled to contribute

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Professor of Economics, University College London, UK

Research interest

Applied and theoretical labor economics, labor market policy, and economic dynamics

Website

http://bit.ly/Postel-Vinay_personal

Past positions

Professor of Economics, University of Bristol, 2005–2013

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 1998

Selected publications

  • “Tenure, experience, human capital and wages: A tractable equilibrium search model of wage dynamics.” American Economic Review 104:6 (2014): 1551–1596 (with J. Bagger, F. Fontaine, and J.-M. Robin).

  • “Stochastic search equilibrium.” Review of Economic Studies 80:4 (2013): 1545–1581 (with G. Moscarini).

  • “The contribution of large and small employers to job creation in times of high and low unemployment.” American Economic Review 102:6 (2012): 2509–2539 (with G. Moscarini).

  • “The public pay gap in Britain: Small differences that (don't?) matter." Economic Journal 117 (2007): 1460–1503 (with H. Turon).

  • “Equilibrium wage dispersion with worker and employer heterogeneity. Econometrica 70:6 (2002): 2295–2350 (with J.-M. Robin).

article(s)

  • Does it pay to be a public-sector employee?

    Contrary to common belief, the long-term public-private pay gap is negligible in many countries

    Fabien Postel-Vinay, June 2015
    Direct wage comparisons show that public-sector employees earn around 15% more than private-sector employees. But should these differences be interpreted as a “public-sector premium”? Two points need to be considered. First, the public and private sectors differ in the jobs they offer and the type of workers they employ, which explains a large share of the wage gap. Second, public- and private-sector careers also differ in other important dimensions, such as job stability and income progression, which are relevant to individual career choices. So any comparison of the two sectors should take these points into account.
    MoreLess