Job Vacancy Rates in the Firm: An Empirical Analysis.

This paper presents some evidence on the magnitudes and determinants of job vacancy rates in U.S. firms based on data from a survey in 1980 and 1982. The results show low overall vacancy rates but substantial variation across firms, occupations, industries, and local areas. Local unemployment, unionization, and employer size have negative effects on vacancy rates, while turnover and sales growth have positive effects. The results are generally consistent with the predictions of job-matching models. Copyright 1994 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.