Ph.D. positions in Economics and Public Finance
Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) The Erasmus University in Rotterdam in the Netherlands is looking for Ph.D. students in economics. The Ph.D. students will be part of a young research team, led by prof.dr. B. Jacobs and prof. dr. R.A. de Mooij, which operates in the twilight zone of public finance, macroeconomics, labour economics and applied policy analysis. The research is not only scientifically relevant, but also has relevance for economic policy and society at large. The group cooperates intensively with the CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Dutch Ministry of Finance, the OECD and the European Commission. Research results are also highly visible in the public policy debate. The research group provides courses in economics of taxation, public finance and tax policy at the BA, MA and PhD level to students in economics, fiscal law and econometrics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Tinbergen Institute. The ambition is to have a complete research group of about
15 talented, ambitious and young people working in public finance and public policy in 4-5 years from now on. Multiple Ph.D. projects are currently available. The following abstracts summarize the projects.
Abstract Ph.D. project 1 – An applied empirical analysis of capital income tax reform in the Netherlands
In 2001, the Dutch government fundamentally reformed the income tax by introducing a dual system in which labour and capital incomes are taxed under different regimes. Especially the taxation of capital income was a major novelty since the tax on the presumptive return is unique in the world. The reform involves a quasi-natural experiment and offers an opportunity to identify various behavioural and tax elasticities. This research aims to estimate elasticities at a number of these behavioural margins, such as the debt-equity decision, the choice of legal form by small firms, the decision to retain or distribute profits, and the investor portfolio choice between owner- occupied housing, pensions and widely held shares. The estimated elasticities will be used to calibrate an applied general equilibrium model that we will develop and which focuses on the tax treatment of capital income. The model allows for a comprehensive welfare analysis of the tax reform of 2001. Moreover, it can be used to analyse alternative tax-reforms such as the adoption of a consumption tax or a comprehensive tax on capital income, which includes a tax on capital gains.
Abstract Ph.D. project 2 – Skill formation in distorted labour markets
The main question of this research proposal is: how do modern welfare states and distortions in labour markets affect the incentives for skill formation over the lifecycle? Labour force participation, hours worked, and later retirement raise the returns on human capital investments from initial schooling and on-the-job training, and vice versa. Less human capital investment results in lower wages, and thereby reduces the economic incentives to participate in the labour market, to work more hours, and to retire later. Extensive welfare states and imperfections in labour markets could be important in explaining weak labour market performance and, as a result, weak incentives for skill formation. Labour market imperfections and welfare state policies may also shift the wage profile over the lifecycle, thereby affecting the incentives for training on-the-job and (early) retirement. Analytically tractable general equilibrium models will be developed to study the interactions between distorted labour markets and skill formation. Various labour market imperfections (caused by unions, search frictions, efficiency wages, or insiders-outsiders) and welfare state policies (education policy, minimum wages, wage subsidies, labour market protection legislation, tax policy, unemployment insurance, retirement schemes) will be analysed. The policy relevance of this project is high. Firstly, skills are crucial determinants of labour productivity and income.
Secondly, skill-biased labour demand shifts jeopardise the earnings and employment prospects of the low skilled and increase income inequality. Thirdly, low labour force participation rates of older workers are worrisome in light of ageing populations.
Extensive descriptions of the research proposals can be found at www.xs4all.nl/~jacobs73.
Successful applicants will be offered a 4-year position at Erasmus University. During the first year Ph.D. students are required to participate in the M.Phil. program in economics of the Tinbergen Institute to upgrade their skills in macroeconomics, microeconomics and econometrics. For more information, visit www.tinbergen.nl. From the second-fourth years, a Ph.D. thesis will be written on one of the topics mentioned below. Prof.dr. B. Jacobs and prof. dr. R.A. de Mooij will be supervising the research process. Ph.D. students have the freedom to actively pursue their research interests.
Research results will be presented in research seminars at the Tinbergen Institute, Erasmus University, other universities in Europe, and international workshops and conferences (such as the annual conference of the International Institute for Public Finance). Policy- relevant research outcomes will be presented in the seminar series of the European Commission (e.g. the series of DG Economic and Financial affairs and DG Taxation), CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis and the Ministry of Finance.
Requirements
Applicants should have successfully completed a master's degree (or
equivalent) and have excellent analytical skills. Moreover, they should have a strong command of English. Especially graduates in econometrics or economics with a specialization in general economics are invited to apply. However, we also welcome graduates with a background in mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, information sciences, biology, engineering, or philosophy. We require that applicants have a genuine interest in economics, economic policy, politics or society at large.
Contract and salary
The initial contract will be for 1.5 years. The terms of the contract are in accordance with the Collective Agreement on Labour Conditions for Netherlands Universities (CAO NU). If you have sufficiently proven your abilities, the temporary contract will be renewed for a further
2.5 years. The salary is in accordance with the Promovendus scale of CAO NU, which corresponds to a gross monthly salary of € 2,000.00 for a full-time (i.e. 38 hours per week) appointment in the first year through to € 2,558.00 in the fourth and final year.
Application
Interested applicants can send a letter that motivates their application before January 15, 2009 by email to hamers@few.eur.nl or by mail to Astrid Hamers, FEI BV, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
They should also include an up-to-date CV and grading lists. If available, research papers (at most two) and teaching evaluations should be included as well.
