Job Mobility and Earnings over the Life Cycle

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that in the short run quits generally lead to wage increases on the next job and layoffs to no increase or to a wage cut. The author of this study argues, however, that the prospect of a job change for any reason creates a disincentive for a worker to invest in training that is specific to the current job, and therefore those who change jobs frequently may earn less over their life cycle than those who, other things equal, seldom change jobs. An analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Men supports that expectation, showing that for white males job separations usually lead to wage gains in the short run but nonmobile workers tend to achieve significantly higher wages over the long run.