@TechReport{iza:izadps:dp1904, author={Holzner, Christian and Launov, Andrey}, title={Search Equilibrium, Production Parameters and Social Returns to Education: Theory and Estimation}, year={2005}, month={Dec}, institution={Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)}, address={Bonn}, type={IZA Discussion Paper}, number={1904}, url={https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp1904}, abstract={We introduce different skill groups and production functions into the Burdett-Mortensen equilibrium search model. Supermodularity in the production process leads to a positive intrafirm wage correlation between skill groups. Theory implies that increasing returns to scale can lead to a unimodal earnings density with a decreasing right tail even in the absence of productivity dispersion. Our empirical results indicate economy-wide increasing returns to scale. We use the structural estimates of the production parameters to investigate whether private returns to education equal social returns. Our estimates suggest a positive welfare effect from increasing the share of medium-skilled agents in the workforce.}, keywords={wage correlation;social returns to education;search}, }