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Labour Economics

Code: 102321
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Business Administration and Management OP 4
Economics OP 3
Economics OP 4
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OP 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Manuel Flores Mallo
Email :
manuel.flores@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for this course; however, students are expected to have a solid background in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics.

Objectives

By the end of the course students will

  1. have a solid theoretical background about the basic labour economics’ issues;
  2. have a knowledge of the most relevant characteristics of the spanish labour market, including its structural and institutional features.
  3. have a basic knowledge of modern microeconometric tools and techniques employed in empirical work to analyse causal issues in labour economics, including labour market policy issues.

Learning outcomes

  1. Capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  2. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  3. Select and generate the information needed for each problem, analyse it and make decisions based on this information.
  4. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  5. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  6. Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
  7. Work as part of a team and be able to argue own proposals and validate or refuse the arguments of others in a reasonable manner.
  8. Describe the main economic agents making up the Spanish and Catalan economy.
  9. Identify the role of the public sector in the Spanish economy.
  10. List the main characteristics of the labour market in Spain.
  11. Examine the influence and the role of Spanish public institutions in the economy.
  12. Interpret the economic globalisation process and its consequences for the Spanish economy.
  13. Perform an economic analysis of integration processes, in general, and of the European integration process, in particular.
  14. Assess the functioning and current situation of the Spanish economy.
  15. Analyse the role of international institutions in the economy.
  16. Relate the labour market and economic activity.
  17. Analyse the mechanisms of the formation of salaries.
  18. Interpret the motivations, instruments and effects of public intervention on this market.
  19. Understand in economic terms, the problem of unemployment and its causes.
  20. Assess work-related policies.
  21. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  22. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  23. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  24. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  25. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  26. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  27. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  28. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  29. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  30. Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  31. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  32. Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  33. Use of the available information technology and adaptation to new technological environments.
  34. Relate the labour market and economic activity.
  35. Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.
  36. Communicating in oral and written form in Catalan, Spanish and English, in order to be able to summarise and present the carried out project in both forms.
  37. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  38. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  39. Students must be capable of assessing the quality of their own work.
  40. Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  41. Respect the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  42. Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.

Contents

Topic 1. Introduction: Economics and the Labour Market


Work and Economic Activity. Idiosyncrasies of Labour Markets and Labour Economics. Course overview.


 


PART I. LABOUR SUPPLY


 


Topic 2. Individual labour supply


The neoclassical model. The work-leisure decision. Activity, inactivity and reservation wage. Effects of taxes and benefits on labour supply.


 


Topic 3. Participation Rates and Family


Participation rates by gender and age. Family and time allocation. Life-cycle issues of labour supply. Working hours.


 


Topic 4. Human Capital and Labour


Human capital theory. Returns to education. On-the-Job training. Alternative theories to Human Capital.


 


Topic 5 Migrations and Labour Mobility


Types of labour mobility and migrations. Determinants of migration. Effects of migration on labour supply.


 


PART II LABOR DEMAND


 


Topic 6. The Demand for Labour: Wage Determination and the Allocation of Labour.


 


Short- and long-run demand for labour. Competitive and non-competitive markets. The monopsony. Determinants of labour demand. Effect of minimum wages on labour market outcomes. Unit labour costs.


 


PART III WAGE DETERMINATION AND WAGE STRUCTURE


 


Topic 7 Pay schemes and the Wage Structure


Wage differentials. Fringe benefits. Efficiency wages. Internal labour markets.


 


Topic 8 Wage Distribution and Labour Market Discrimination


Economic analysis of labour market discrimination. Occupational segregation. Segmentation and labour market duality. Temporary employment.


 


Topic 9 Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining


Economic analysis of trade unions. Collective bargaining. The economic impact of unions.


 


Topic 10 Government and the Labour Market


Labour market effects of public intervention. Minimum Wages. Effects of unemployment benefits. Legislation and regulation.


 


PART IV MACROECONOMIC ANALYSIS


 


Topic 11 Unemployment and Inflation


Labour market unbalances. Types of unemployment. Economic theories of unemployment. Policies to reduce unemployment.


 

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Exercices, essays and collective works 36.5 1.46 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
Tutorial 8 0.32 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 39
Lectures 32.5 1.3 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 34
Autonomous study 50 2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
Tutorials 17 0.68 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39

Teaching is scheduled to be face-to-face in the classroom.

The course combnes lectures and practical sessions. Besides, the students will have to write individual and collective essays, some of which will be presented and discusssed in class.

15 minutes will be devoted in one of the last lectures of the course to allow students to fill out the questionnaires that assesses the teaching activity of the professor and the subject.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is permitted only in support tasks, such as search of bibliography of information, text correction or translations. The students must clearly identify what parts of the work have been generated with this technology, spell out the tools that have been used and include a critical reflection on how the use of these tools have influenced the process and final result of the activity. Not being transparent on the use of AI in activities will be considered academic dishonesty and can lead to partial or total penalties in the grade of the activity or in major sanctions if the case is deemed especially grave.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Presentations in class 25% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
Final Exam 50% 3 0.12 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39
Submission of course work 25% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42

The completion of assessment activities is subject to the provisions set out in this course guide and in the "Policy of the School of Economics and Business on the Detection of Irregularities during Assessment Activities", which regulates the conditions under which assessment tasks are conducted and the procedures applicable in cases where indications of irregularities are detected. Students are encouraged to consult the policy.


Assessment combines individual and collective assignments, as well as exams.

All assignments are integrated in a process of continuous assesment.

Students who have not submitted any evaluation activity in the process of continouos evaluation will be considered not evalauable.

This subject does offer the option for comprehensive evaluation.

By requesting the comprehensive evaluation the student waives the option of continuous evaluation.

The comprehensive evaluation must be requested at the Academic Management (Gestió acadèmica) of the Campus where the degree/master's degree is taught. The request must be filed according to the procedure and the deadline established by the administrative calendar of the Faculty of Economics and Business.

Attendance :

  • Student attendance is mandatory on the day of the comprehensive assessment. The date will be the same as that of the final exam of the semester as per the evaluation calendar published by the Faculty of Economics and Business and approved by the Faculty's Teaching and Academic Affairs Committee. The duration of the comprehensive assessment must be specified in the characteristics of such activity.
  • 100% of the evaluation evidences must be handed in by the student on the day of the comprhensive assessment.
  • The evaluation evidences carried out in person by the student on the same day of the comprehensive assessment must have a minimum weight of 70%.

The comprehensive evaluation consists of a single final exam that will last two hours and will have a weight of 100% in the final assessment. The exam will take place on the date, time and place indicated by the School.

2.2 RETAKE PROCEDURE :

\"For the retake procedure, no distinction is made between students who have followed the continuous evaluation and those who have optedforthecomprehensive evaluation. All will be re-assessed using the same test or evaluation evidence.\"

2.3 REVIEW OF THE FINAL QUALIFICATION:

\"The review of the final qualification will follow the same procedure as for the continuous evaluation\".

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities (midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduled in the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

\"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity.\" Section 1 of Article 264. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB).

Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule: e-Formulari per a la reprogramació de proves.

Grade revision process

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

Retake Process

\"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject.\" Section 2 of Article 261. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject greater than or equal to 3.5 and less than 5.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who take this exam and pass, will get a grade of 5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, \"in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0\". Section 11 of Article 266. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).

Bibliography

Basic textbooks

Borjas, George (2020), Labor Economics (8th edition), McGraw-Hill.

McConnell, Campbell R., Stanley L. Brue and David A. Macpherson (2017), Contemporary Labor Economics (11th edition), McGraw-Hill International Edition.

Complementary textbooks:

Cahuc, Pierre and Andre Zylberberg (2004), Labor Economics, MIT Press.

Complementary readings: Detailed information on the required and supplementary readings for each topic, as well as additional materials for the analysis of the labour market, will be provided through the Virtual Campus. These readings will include seminal academic articles written by leading economists, such as Claudia Goldin, who was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2023.

Software

The econometric software Stata will be used in some practical sessions. The same software may be used for the completion of the empirical project.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 51 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan second semester afternoon