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The pro-competitive consequences of trade in frictional labor markets

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  • Firooz, Hamid

Abstract

What are the pro-competitive consequences of trade in frictional labor markets? This paper develops and estimates a dynamic general equilibrium trade model to show that the interplay between endogenously variable markups in product markets and frictions in labor markets has important implications for aggregate as well as distributional consequences of trade. In particular, I show that once markups are allowed to respond to trade liberalization, unemployment and residual wage inequality rise almost three times more than in a model with constant markups (in the steady state). The presence of labor market frictions makes the pro-competitive gains from trade liberalization negative.

Suggested Citation

  • Firooz, Hamid, 2025. "The pro-competitive consequences of trade in frictional labor markets," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:153:y:2025:i:c:s0022199624001557
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2024.104028
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    International trade; Variable markups; Pro-competitive gains; Labor elasticity of revenue; Unemployment; Residual wage inequality; Firm size distribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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