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We build a model of job design under monopsony that yields predictions over the relationship between: (i) the amenity value of non-wage job features; (ii) whether they are costly or profitable to firms; (iii) monopsony power. We analyse the amenity value of schedule flexibility offered in the labour market by combining our model’s predictions with a new measure of schedule flexibility, which we construct from job vacancy text using a supervised machine learning approach. We show that the amenity value of schedule flexibility depends crucially on whether it is offered alongside a salaried contract that insures workers from earnings variation.
Authors

Research Fellow University of Oxford
Abi's research sits within Applied Microeconomics, often focused on the econometrics of consumer and family choice.

Associate Director
Tom is an Associate Director at the IFS and Head of the Income, Work and Welfare sector.

Research Associate Institute of Labour Economics

Research Fellow Said Business School, University of Oxford
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.ifs.2023.1423
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
Adams, A et al. (2023). Firm concentration & job design: the case of schedule flexible work arrangements. 23/14. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/firm-concentration-job-design-case-schedule-flexible-work-arrangements (accessed: 23 June 2025).
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