Abstract

Drawing on vocational specificity and push-based entrepreneurship literature, we ask whether the degree of vocational specificity is linked to the likelihood of displaced workers transitioning into self-employment, whether such transitions correlate with greater earnings declines, and whether self-employment in an industry distant from their pre-displacement industry exacerbates earnings declines. Based on the biennial Current Population Survey-Displaced Worker Supplements (CPS-DWSs) from 1986 to 2020, higher vocational specificity in the pre-displacement occupation is positively associated with odds of switching to self-employment. However, engagement in self-employment is associated with higher earnings losses, that further exacerbate when transitioning to industries more distant from the pre-displacement industry. The findings have implications for policymakers and researchers.

中文翻译：

---

出油锅入火：失业工人的职业技能特异性、个体经营与收入

摘要

借鉴职业特异性和推动型创业文献，我们询问职业特异性的程度是否与失业工人过渡到自营职业的可能性有关，这种过渡是否与收入下降幅度更大相关，以及行业中的自营职业是否远离被取代前的行业加剧了收入下降。根据 1986 年至 2020 年两年一度的当前人口调查-失业工人补充资料 (CPS-DWS)，失业前职业的较高职业特异性与转向自营职业的几率呈正相关。然而，从事自营职业会带来更高的收入损失，当转向距离迁移前行业更远的行业时，这种损失会进一步加剧。研究结果对政策制定者和研究人员具有重要意义。