Professor & Class Info.

Bulletin Description 
& Course Objectives

Textbooks & Policies

Exams & Grades

Course Outline
 

........
ECON 334
Labor Economics & 
Industrial Relations

 

 
Professor:
Dr. Robert A. Lawson
238 Renner Hall
614-236-6138 (office)
614-252-5453 (home)
614-236-6540 (fax)
rlawson@capital.edu (e-mail)
http://capital2.capital.edu/faculty/rlawson/
Class Information: 
Section 11750, 3:00-4:15, MW,
LC 202

Office Hours: 
10:00-10:50, Monday & Friday
1:00-1:50, Wednesday

Bulletin Description: Application of micro- and macroeconomic theory to labor markets.  Topics include the demand for labor, the employment decisions of workers, and rationale and effects of legislation, nonwage compensation, investments in education and training, productivity considerations, racial and gender discrimination, unions and public sector labor markets. Prerequisite: ECON 200. Course Objectives: A successful student will learn the following topics:
  • employment and unemploytment theory in competitive labor markets
  • the role of human capital and investment
  • the various determinants of wages in competitive and non-competitive labor markets
  • the role and effects of unions on labor markets and the economy
  • the role and effects of various government regulations on labor markets
Textbook and Materials:  Campell R. McConnell, Stanley L. Brue, and David Macpherson, Contemporary Labor Economics, 5th ed., (Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill), 1999. Class Policies: There is no  attendance requirement. So skip at your own risk!  There will be an extra credit bonus available for regular attendance.  See below for details.  In the event of an absence, you are responsible for all material missed. As a courtesy to your classmates, make every effort to arrive at class on time. 

Any "Academic Integrity" violation (see Undergraduate Student Handbook for details) will result in an "F" in the course and may result in disciplinary action by the university.

Exams & Assignments: 
Exams:  There will be three exams in this course; each is worth 25% of your final grade. You are responsible for all material covered in the books, the classroom lectures, handouts, etc. 

Term paper: You will write a term paper, worth 25%. A 5% bonus if offered if the term paper is done as a "web paper."

Grading Scale: All essay questions are graded on a four-point scale with a 4 indicating an ‘A' answer, a 3 a ‘B' answer, and so on. Overall grades on exams are determined by averaging your points on all the essays and assigning the appropriate letter grade.  On all written work, you will be graded, in part, on grammar, spelling, style, etc.
Course Outline: This is a tentative course outline and is subject to change. 
August 28 Syllabus & Introduction to Course
August 30 1. Labor Economics: Introduction and Overview
September 4 Labor Day--no classes
September 6 2. The Theory of Individual Labor Supply
September 11 2. cont.
September 13 3. Population, Paticipation Rates, and Hours of Work
September 18 4. Labor Quality: Investing in Human Capital
September 20 4. cont.
September 25 5. The Demand for Labor
September 27 5. cont.
October 2 6. Wage Determination and the Allocation of Labor
October 4 Review/Catch-up day
October 9 Exam I
October 11 7. Alternative Pay Schemes and Labor Efficiency
October 16 8. The Wage Structure
October 18 9. Mobility, Migration, and Efficiency
October 23 10. Labor Unions and Collective Bargaining
October 25 10. cont.
October 30 Economic Freedom Network Conference, Lichtentstein--no class
November 1 Economic Freedom Network Conference, Lichtentstein--no class
November 6 Economic Freedom Network Conference, Lichtentstein--no class
November 8 11. The Economic Impact of Unions
November 13 Review/Catch-up day
November 15 Exam II
November 20 12. Government and the Labor Market: Employment, Expenditures and Taxation
November 22 Thanksgiving Recess-- no classes
November 27 13. Government and the Labor Market: Legislation and Regulation
November 29 14. Theories of Labor Market Discrimination
December 4 15. Women, Blacks, and the Labor Market
December 6 17. The Personal Distribution of Earnings
December 11 Exam III (25%): 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.