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Allocating labor across small firms: Experimental evidence on information constraints

Author

Listed:
  • Hardy, Morgan
  • Kim, Seongyoon
  • McCasland, Jamie
  • Menzel, Andreas
  • Witte, Marc

Abstract

We document interest in labor reallocation among small firm owners in Ghana; 60% and 41%, respectively, self-report willingness to hire or work for the average local firm owner. Firm owners also exhibit high willingness-to-pay for information on a random subset of hiring firms and jobseeking firm owners during a Becker–Degroot–Marschak exercise. Conditionally random variation in access to this information generates immediate labor adjustments within and between firms, though rarely of firm owners themselves, and impacts firm closure 5-months post-intervention. Our findings suggest that labor market information of this kind is both valuable and actionable in our context.

Suggested Citation

  • Hardy, Morgan & Kim, Seongyoon & McCasland, Jamie & Menzel, Andreas & Witte, Marc, 2024. "Allocating labor across small firms: Experimental evidence on information constraints," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0304387824000944
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103345
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Small firms; Labor reallocation; Experiment; Information constraints;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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