PhD Special Call: PhD in Labor Economics

Aarhus BSS Graduate School, Aarhus University invites applicants for a PhD Scholarship in connection with the research project Labour Economics at the PhD Programme Economics and Business Economics.  

The position is available from 1. February 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

The research project

Inequality, and the widening gap between rich and poor within developed countries, is a concern for society and should be addressed by policy makers (Mayhew and Wills, 2019). Income inequality depends both on the income shares of labor and capital and on wage dispersion. One key factor explaining inequality is lack of competition and monopoly power, both in the goods market and in the labor market. In this project, we focus on lack of competition in the labor market and how it can lead to observing similar workers earning different wages at different firms. It is not controversial that many aspects of labor markets are inherently imperfectly competitive: Either workers or firms can gain a rent from an existing employment relationship (Manning, 2010). These rents can come from two sources: The first is heterogeneity of workers (skills or preferences) and firms (productivity and non-wage job amenities); this is employer differentiation. The second source is lack of competition due to market concentration, i.e., the presence of few employers that dominate the labor market and can strategically interact to set wages below the marginal product of labor, employer concentration.
The aim of this project is to contribute to the frontier of the growing literature incorporating different sources of market power in economic models of the labor market by developing new empirical methodologies to allow researchers to measure labor market power and its impact on income inequality. In the project, we combine theoretical models of the labor market and sophisticated quantitative methods using the Danish administrative registers and novel geographical data.

Job description

As a PhD student you will be part of the collective research project “Market Power and Inequality in the Labor Market” funded by the Carlsberg Foundation. You will work independently as well as with other researchers developing and estimating structural models of the labor market, analyzing data, presenting research results, and writing scientific papers. Coursework and teaching are also part of the PhD position.

You will be affiliated with the Department of Economics and Business Economics, and you will participate in the meetings of the labor group at the department.

Your qualifications

We expect you to have a strong background in Economics or Public Policy as well as excellent analytical skills. We also expect you to have an interest in the field of labor economics, including models of the labor market. Proficiency in advanced math and econometrics methods, and experience managing and analyzing large data sets are an advantage, but not a strict prerequisite for this position.

Further information

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Elena Mattana, Email: , [email protected] 

If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR supporter Ulla Prisholm Bjørn, Email: [email protected]

Place of work

Fuglesangs Allé 4, 8210 Aarhus V


Formal requirements

You can read more about how to apply in the application guide and find the rules and regulations of the PhD education here.

The following criteria are decisive in the assessment of the candidates:

• the applicant’s academic qualifications (assessed on the basis of the qualifying degree)
• the quality and relevance of the project proposal
• the applicant’s level of academic aptitude and assessed ability to complete the project within the framework of the PhD programme

You can read more about the assessment procedure and committees appointed by the dean here.

Applicants are very much encouraged to supply documentation as to how they rank compared to their class (both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees). This may for example be in the form of a letter from your University stating either how you rank as an individual student compared to other students the year you graduated ("ranks as no. 6 out of 111" or "ranks as among the best 8 percent") or if that is not possible, general information from your University as to how grades were distributed in the year of your graduation, will be appreciated.

Please note that Aarhus BSS Graduate School reserves the right to evaluate the applications on the basis of the documentation received before deadline, and you will not necessarily be asked for further documentation. Furthermore, Aarhus BSS Graduate School reserves the right to reject application that do not comply with the limitations as stated in the application guide (see link above).

Terms of enrolment

PhD students at Aarhus BSS Graduate School are always enrolled. The enrolment happens in accordance with the Ministerial PhD Order no. 1039 of August 27, 2013 and the terms stated in the Rules and Regulations for the PhD programmes at Aarhus BSS Graduate School. Both can be found here.
If relevant: If you are enrolled in part A of the 4- or 5-year schemes you will receive a SU PhD Scholarship according to the rules set out in the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU, in Danish). In addition, you will be offered to undertake paid work of up to 280 hours during your part A enrolment period.

Terms of employment

If you are offered employment at Aarhus University in connection with enrolment in the 3-year scheme, the appointment is made in accordance with the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities as well as the circular on the Collective Agreement for Academics Employed by the State (in Danish). The job content and qualification requirements are described in further detail in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

You can read more about the 3-, 4- and 5-year scheme here.Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/