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Talent in Distressed Firms: Investigating the Labor Costs of Financial Distress

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  • RAMIN P. BAGHAI
  • RUI C. SILVA
  • VIKTOR THELL
  • VIKRANT VIG

Abstract

The importance of skilled labor and the inalienability of human capital expose firms to the risk of losing talent at critical times. Using Swedish microdata, we document that firms lose workers with the highest cognitive and noncognitive skills as they approach bankruptcy. In a quasi‐experiment, we confirm that financial distress drives these results: following a negative export shock caused by exogenous currency movements, talent abandons the firm, but only if the exporter is highly leveraged. Consistent with talent dependence being associated with higher labor costs of financial distress, firms that rely more on talent have more conservative capital structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramin P. Baghai & Rui C. Silva & Viktor Thell & Vikrant Vig, 2021. "Talent in Distressed Firms: Investigating the Labor Costs of Financial Distress," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 2907-2961, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:76:y:2021:i:6:p:2907-2961
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.13077
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    3. Cláudia Custódio & Miguel A Ferreira & Emilia Garcia-Appendini, 2023. "Indirect Costs of Financial Distress," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2233-2270.
    4. Wang, Jiaxin & Huang, Hongyan & Huang, Xiang & Sun, Di & Song, Zilong, 2024. "Returning from overseas: STEMs migration and corporate digitalization," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Pham, Tho & Talavera, Oleksandr & Wu, Zhuangchen, 2023. "Labor markets during war time: Evidence from online job advertisements," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 1316-1333.
    6. Gill, Balbinder Singh & Choi, Jongmoo Jay & John, Kose, 2024. "Firm leverage and employee pay: The moderating role of CEO leadership style," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    7. Bai, John (Jianqiu) & Eldemire, Ashleigh & Serfling, Matthew, 2024. "The effect of labor mobility on corporate investment and performance over the business cycle," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    8. Lastauskas, Povilas & Proškutė, Aurelija & Žaldokas, Alminas, 2023. "How do firms adjust when trade stops?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 287-307.
    9. Araujo, Aloisio & Ferreira, Rafael & Lagaras, Spyridon & Moraes, Flavio & Ponticelli, Jacopo & Tsoutsoura, Margarita, 2023. "The labor effects of judicial bias in bankruptcy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(2).
    10. Friedrich, Benjamin U. & Zator, Michał, 2023. "Flexibility costs of debt: Danish exporters during the cartoon crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(2), pages 91-117.
    11. Chowdhury, Rajib & Doukas, John A., 2022. "Protection of trade secrets and value of cash holdings: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    12. Alexey I. Shinkevich & Svetlana S. Kudryavtseva & Vera P. Samarina, 2023. "Ecosystems as an Innovative Tool for the Development of the Financial Sector in the Digital Economy," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-15, January.
    13. Xia, Yanchun & Liu, Yu & Guo, Shijun & Xia, Yufeng, 2024. "IPO suspensions and labor employment decisions: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PB).
    14. Fonseca, Julia & Matray, Adrien, 2024. "Financial inclusion, economic development, and inequality: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    15. Christoph Feichter & Frank Moers & Oscar Timmermans, 2022. "Relative Performance Evaluation and Competitive Aggressiveness," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1859-1913, December.
    16. Wang, Hua & Chen, Yaorui, 2024. "The impact of population aging on capital structure decisions and capital market efficiency: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    17. YunGuo Liu & Minghui Zheng & Yue Xu & Sujuan Xie, 2023. "Deleveraging for talents: Human capital reliance and corporate leverage," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(5), pages 4823-4847, December.
    18. ED deHAAN & NAN LI & FRANK S. ZHOU, 2023. "Financial Reporting and Employee Job Search," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 571-617, May.
    19. Vincenzo Quadrini & Enrique G. Mendoza, 2024. "Macro-Financial Implications of the Surging Global Demand (and Supply) of International Reserves," PIER Working Paper Archive 24-038, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    20. Tho Pham & Oleksandr Talavera & Zhuangchen Wu, 2023. "Labor Markets during War Time: Evidence from Online Job Ads," Discussion Papers 23-03, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.

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