Work in progress
Exposure to Automation and Augmentation and wage inequality in Europe
Examining how different measures of exposure to automation and augmentation shape estimated wage effects and inequality. Using the European Skills and Jobs Survey, the project compares external occupational measures with workers’ own task-based exposure and distinguishes between robots, software and AI.
Labour Supply of Mothers in Slovakia
Examining how childcare availability and costs affect mothers’ labour supply in Slovakia. The project develops a structural model of labour supply and childcare choice to assess policy reforms, including changes in childcare subsidies and parental allowances, and their effects on maternal employment and inequality.
Peer-reviewed Publications
Employment effects of immigration in Austria
This paper examines how the rapid increase in immigrant workers following the EU enlargements affected employment growth in Austria between 2008 and 2017. Using a shift-share instrument based on historical settlement patterns and rich administrative data, I estimate local employment responses to immigration-induced labour supply shocks over short and longer horizons. I provide robust evidence that native employment rates respond positively to local immigration shocks, with elasticities of around 0.1 percent. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that short-run employment losses are concentrated among men with vocational or upper-secondary education, while women, especially those with higher education, experience employment gains that largely offset aggregate effects. For immigrants residing in Austria for more than seven years or naturalised, mainly from Turkey or the former Yugoslavia, inflows from new EU member states reduced employment growth by about 0.1 percent in the short run. Allowing for dynamic adjustment to earlier immigration shocks, both positive and negative employment responses appear short-lived and are gradually offset through adjustment and reallocation channels. These findings suggest that immigration did not harm domestic employment overall but affected subgroups differently, highlighting the need for targeted labour market support.
Dissertation: Topics in Labour Economics
Testing for labour market segmentation in Europe
Empirical test of the dual labourmarket hypothesis using EU-SILC longitudinal microdata. Segments are defined by employment histories and job characteristics while returns are estimated with Hausman–Taylor panel IV to address unobserved heterogeneity. The paper documents systematic earnings differentials and segment-specific returns to schooling and experience.
Employment effects of immigration in Austria
Quantification of employment effects of post-enlargement immigration in Austria (2011–2015) using a shift–share design with Bartiktype instruments based on historical settlement patterns. Estimates indicate negligible average impact on native workers, with short-run displacement concentrated among long-tenured immigrant workers.
Employment effects of short-time work in Slovakia
Evaluation of three COVID-19 short-time-work schemes in Slovakia using difference-in-differences with synthetic controls on matched employer–employee administrative data. The general scheme, modelled on Germany’s Kurzarbeit, preserved employment relative to counterfactual trends, whereas the fixed-payment scheme showed limited job preservation and low cost-effectiveness.
Research & Policy Reports
D. Dujava, K. Valkova, and T. Jezo. Oplatí sa mať jednotky? Analýza vzťahu výsledkov externej časti maturitných skúšok a príjmov [Is it worth having top grades? Analysis of the relationship between external graduation exam results and income]. Institute for Financial Policy, Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, Research Report, 2024.
K. Valkova and V. Peciar. Jaguar razantne nepotiahol región. Analýza vplyvu príchodu automobilky na trh práce [Jaguar did not substantially boost the region. The impact of the car manufacturer's entry on the labour market]. Institute for Financial Policy, Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, Research Report, 2023.
K. Valkova and V. Peciar. Zásady poskytovania prvej pomoci na trhu práce. Analýza vplyvov Prvej pomoci na zamestnanosť počas prvej vlny šírenia koronavírusu [Principles of first aid in the labour market. Analysis of the effects of the "First Aid" scheme on employment during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic]. Institute for Financial Policy, Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, Research Report, 2022.
S. Hidas, K. Valkova, G. Machlica, and A. Belak. Vplyv pandémie na marginalizované rómske komunity. Ako zmenila pandémia výsledky na trhu práce a z pohľadu zdravia [The impact of the pandemic on marginalised Roma communities. How the pandemic changed labour market and health outcomes]. Institute for Financial Policy, Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, Commentary No. 1/2022.
G. Titelbach, M. Fink, R. Hyee, and K. Valkova. Beschäftigungsentwicklung von Inländer/inne/n und Ausländer/inne/n am österreichischen Arbeitsmarkt [Employment trends among Austrian and foreign nationals in the Austrian labour market]. Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS), study commissioned by the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS), Final Report, 2018.
R. Hyee, G. Titelbach, and K. Valkova. Teilzeitarbeit in Wien [Part-time work in Vienna]. Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS), study commissioned by the City of Vienna, Final Report, 2018.
M. Fink, P. Wetzel, and K. Valkova. Arbeit 4.0, Bildung und Qualifikation: Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätze [Work 4.0, Education and Qualifications: Challenges and Solutions]. Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS) and L&R Social Research, study commissioned by the Chamber of Labour of Lower Austria, Final Report, 2017.
W. Nagl, G. Titelbach, and K. Valkova. Digitalisierung der Arbeit: Substituierbarkeit von Berufen im Zuge der Automatisierung durch Industrie 4.0 [Digitalisation of Work: Substitutability of Occupations through Automation in Industry 4.0]. Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS), study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, Final Report, 2017.
J. Pöschl and K. Valkova. Welfare state regimes and social determinants of health in Europe. The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), Working Paper No. 118, 2015.
P. Toth and K. Valkova. Wage rigidities and jobless recovery in Slovakia: New survey evidence. National Bank of Slovakia, Occasional Paper, 2016.
P. Toth and K. Valkova. New survey data on labour cost adjustments during the recent recovery in Slovakia. National Bank of Slovakia, Biatec Banking Journal, 2015.