Labor turnover in Latin America How intensive is it and how differently does it behaves across countries?

MAURIZIO, ROXANA; BECCARIA, LUIS

Congreso; LII Reunión Anual AAEP; 2017

AAEP

The study of occupational turnover in Latin America 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 these into two categories: 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 results show that the differences between countries are partly explained by dissimilar employment structures. A large share of exits implies transitions to precarious jobs or unemployment.