Labour market turnover in Latin America: How intensive is it and to what extent does it differ across countries?

MAURIZIO, ROXANA; BECCARIA, LUIS

International Labour Review

Wiley

Año: 2020

1564-913X

The study of occupational turnover is relevant to our understanding of labor market performance and to the process of analyzing the dynamics of household welfare. This is particularly significant in Latin America, which is characterized by marked economic cycles and limited social protection coverage. This paper estimates the intensity of labor turnover in six countries in Latin America in the 2000s and decomposes the differences between those explained by divergences in the occupational structure and those that derive from differences in the intensities with which different groups of workers exit their jobs. The study also evaluates the destinations of these workers. The countries under analysis show very different labor turnover rates. These differences are mostly explained by a dissimilar incidence of informal and temporary employment. However, in all cases, a large share of exits implies transitions to precarious jobs or unemployment.