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The age-productivity pattern: Do location and sector affiliation matter?

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  • Mahlberg, Bernhard
  • Freund, Inga
  • Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús
  • Prskawetz, Alexia

Abstract

Current demographic developments are expected to challenge the sustainability of welfare in industrialised economies. Persistent low fertility levels and increasing survival rates to older age imply a decreasing share of younger individuals within the labour force that needs to support an increasing share of old people out of the labour force. We use matched employer–employee data for Austria at the firm level in order to study the link between the age structure and labour productivity and concentrate on the role played by regional location and sector affiliation. We apply multilevel estimation techniques in order to account for systematic variation of the age-productivity pattern with regard to these two dimensions. Our results indicate that the age-productivity pattern differs significantly across regions and across sectors and that sectoral differences are the more sizable source of heterogeneity in the link between the age structure and firm productivity.

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  • Mahlberg, Bernhard & Freund, Inga & Crespo Cuaresma, Jesús & Prskawetz, Alexia, 2013. "The age-productivity pattern: Do location and sector affiliation matter?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 1, pages 72-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:1-2:y:2013:i::p:72-82
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2013.08.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Aiello & Fernanda Ricotta, 2014. "Firm heterogeneity in productivity across Europe. What explains what?," ERSA conference papers ersa14p808, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Francesco Aiello & Graziella Bonanno & Stefania Patrizia Sonia Rossi, 2019. "Risk Aversion And Entrepreneurship: Financing Innovation For Smes Across Europe. Evidence From Multilevel Models," Working Papers 201902, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    3. Backman, Mikaela & Karlsson, Charlie, 2020. "Age of managers and employees – Firm survival," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 15(C).
    4. Fernanda Ricotta, 2019. "The Quality of Regional Government and Firm Performance," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(2), pages 27-40, February.
    5. Fernanda Ricotta, 2016. "Productivity Differences By Export Destination," Working Papers 201601, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    6. Maciej Lis, 2017. "Productivity based selection to retirement: Evidence from EU-SILC," IBS Working Papers 02/2017, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.
    7. Bokwon Lee & Joowoong Park & Jae-Suk Yang, 2018. "Do older workers really reduce firm productivity?," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 29(4), pages 521-542, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age-productivity profile; Firm heterogeneity; Employer–employee data; Multilevel regression methods; Regional variability; Sectoral variability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J82 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Labor Force Composition
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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