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Does environmental regulation affect labor investment Efficiency?Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

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  • Chen, Chunhua
  • Jiang, Dequan
  • Lan, Meng
  • Li, Weiping
  • Ye, Ling

Abstract

Applying the sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission trading system (ETS) as an exogenous shock to environmental regulation, we conduct a quasi-natural experiment to investigate the impact of environmental regulation on labor investment efficiency. Our results indicate that SO2 ETS impedes a firm's labor investment efficiency. This effect is driven by the firm's over-firing or under-hiring behaviors, not by the lower total investment efficiency. Moreover, we show that the impact of SO2 ETS is more pronounced in firms with higher agency costs and high labor adjusting costs. Besides, the low labor investment efficiency is not substantial for state-owned enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Chunhua & Jiang, Dequan & Lan, Meng & Li, Weiping & Ye, Ling, 2022. "Does environmental regulation affect labor investment Efficiency?Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 82-95.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:80:y:2022:i:c:p:82-95
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2022.02.018
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    6. Karami, Gholamreza & Mehrani, Sasan & Beik Boshrouyeh, Salman & Ezadpour, Mostafa & Mohebbi, Masoud & Samavat, Milad, 2024. "Political connections and labor investment efficiency," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PB), pages 568-580.
    7. Yan, Bin & Wang, Feng & Chen, Tian & Liu, Siyu & Bai, Xiaoxuan, 2023. "Digital finance, environmental regulation and emission reduction in manufacturing industry: New evidence incorporating dynamic spatial-temporal correlation and competition," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 750-763.
    8. Wenjun Ge & Siyuan Wu & Derong Yang, 2024. "Who are the genuine contributors to economic development under environmental regulation? Evidence from total factor productivity in the three industries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 22801-22838, September.
    9. Yuan, Kaihua & Cui, Jingyuan & Zhang, Haipeng & Gao, Xiang, 2023. "Do cleaner production standards upgrade the global value chain position of manufacturing enterprises? Empirical evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    10. Ren, Yi-Shuai & Derouiche, Imen & Hassan, Majdi & Liu, Pei-Zhi, 2024. "Do creditors price climate transition risks? A natural experiment based on China's carbon emission trading scheme," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 138-155.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental regulation; Labor investment efficiency; Emission trading system; Natural experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • P23 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Factor and Product Markets; Industry Studies; Population
    • P24 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - National Income, Product, and Expenditure; Money; Inflation

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