Estimating a Structural Search Model: The Transition from School to Work

This paper presents a finite-horizon search model that is econometrically implemented using all of the restrictions impli ed by the theory. Following a sample of male high school graduates fr om the youth cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys from graduat ion to employment, search parameters are estimated. Reservation wages and offer probabilities are estimated to be quite low. Simulations a re performed of the impact of changing the parameters on the expected duration of unemployment. Copyright 1987 by The Econometric Society.