Labor Market Dynamics: The Role Of Occupations And Technological Changes

This thesis examines how occupational characteristics shape labor mobility patterns in response to unexpected shocks. Chapter 1 (Introduction) introduces this central question, which is explored through two complementary empirical studies: one focusing on an economy-wide shock (pandemic and mandatory sectoral closures) and the other on a technological shock (DYNARE software). Chapter 2 (Understanding Workers' Mobility) analyzes the impact of Italy's COVID-19 lockdown. It finds that government-mandated closures significantly increased transitions from employment to unemployment, primarily through the non-renewal of fixed-term contracts. This negative effect was most severe for workers in occupations with high physical or psychosocial demands and limited remote work potential. Chapter 3 (Scholars And The Machine) shifts to within-occupation dynamics, studying how the introduction of DYNARE software affected economics researchers. At the field level, the technology increased the quantity of research output and lowered entry barriers for new authors. At the individual level, however, established authors with high exposure to the new tool experienced relative productivity declines, suggesting the technology democratized technical skills and eroded their prior competitive advantage.