Paul Muller receives Vidi research grant
Research fellow Paul Muller (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) has been awarded an 800,000 euro Vidi funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for his research on labor market shortages in the Netherlands.
Paul Muller is investigating labor market shortages in the Netherlands, mapping out the causes and policies aimed at alleviating scarcity. Muller explains, "An important question for the labor market is to what extent workers can transition to professions with high demand. In some professions, due to various factors such as automation, there is less work available, while in other professions, there is a significant shortage of workers. Such transitions can help reduce 'mismatches' in the labor market, contributing to a better alignment between supply and demand."
Impact of the research
"These studies will directly contribute to optimizing labor market policies. Labor market shortages will only increase in the coming decades due to aging. Therefore, it is important that we understand how people make career choices and how we can provide support to facilitate career transitions. The right policies can contribute at a macro level to better aligning labor supply with demand. At the same time, with this research, I want to ensure that people find jobs that best suit them, even in the long term," Muller states.
"The award of the Vidi grant means that I can primarily focus on researching the labor market for the next five years. It provides me with time to investigate, link, and analyze various new data sources. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to conduct 'field experiments': testing and evaluating new policies in society. With the funding, I will also supervise a Ph.D. student who will write a dissertation over four years on the current challenges we face in the labor market."
Vidi
Vidi is aimed at researchers who have already conducted successful research for several years after their PhD Vidi, together with the Veni and Vici grants, is part of the NWO Talent program. The NWO has awarded 97 experienced researchers an 800,000 euro Vidi funding.
Paul Muller is an associate professor at the department of economics of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Before joining the VU, he was an assistant professor at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He obtained his PhD at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Tinbergen Institute in 2016. Paul is also a TI research master alumnus (2011).