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The importance of measuring dispersion in firm-level outcomes

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  • Chad Syverson

    (University of Chicago, USA)

Abstract

Recent research has revealed enormous variation in performance and growth among firms, which both drives and is driven by large reallocations of inputs and outputs across firms (churning) within industries and markets. These differences in firm-level outcomes and the associated turnover of firms affect many economic policies (both labor- and non-labor-oriented), on both a microeconomic and a macroeconomic scale, and are affected by them. Properly evaluating these policies requires familiarity with the sources and consequences of firm-level variation and within-industry reallocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chad Syverson, 2014. "The importance of measuring dispersion in firm-level outcomes," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-53, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2014:n:53
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven J. Davis & John Haltiwanger & Ron Jarmin & Javier Miranda, 2007. "Volatility and Dispersion in Business Growth Rates: Publicly Traded versus Privately Held Firms," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2006, Volume 21, pages 107-180, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Andrew B. Bernard & J. Bradford Jensen & Stephen J. Redding & Peter K. Schott, 2007. "Firms in International Trade," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 21(3), pages 105-130, Summer.
    3. Steven J. Davis & John C. Haltiwanger & Scott Schuh, 1998. "Job Creation and Destruction," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262540932, December.
    4. Chad Syverson, 2011. "What Determines Productivity?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(2), pages 326-365, June.
    5. Eric Bartelsman & John Haltiwanger & Stefano Scarpetta, 2009. "Measuring and Analyzing Cross-country Differences in Firm Dynamics," NBER Chapters, in: Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data, pages 15-76, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Mark Doms & Eric J. Bartelsman, 2000. "Understanding Productivity: Lessons from Longitudinal Microdata," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(3), pages 569-594, September.
    7. Edward P. Lazear & James R. Spletzer, 2012. "Hiring, Churn, and the Business Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(3), pages 575-579, May.
    8. Eric Bartelsman & John Haltiwanger & Stefano Scarpetta, 2013. "Cross-Country Differences in Productivity: The Role of Allocation and Selection," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(1), pages 305-334, February.
    9. Timothy Dunne & J. Bradford Jensen & Mark J. Roberts, 2009. "Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number dunn05-1, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Augusto Cerqua & Guido Pellegrini, 2017. "Industrial policy evaluation in the presence of spillovers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 671-686, October.
    2. Cahuc, Pierre & Carcillo, Stéphane & Minea, Andreea & Valfort, Marie-Anne, 2019. "When Correspondence Studies Fail to Detect Hiring Discrimination," IZA Discussion Papers 12653, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Rawat, Pankaj S. & Sharma, Seema, 2021. "TFP growth, technical efficiency and catch-up dynamics: Evidence from Indian manufacturing," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    4. Lionel Fontagné & Gianluca Santoni, 2015. "Firm Level Allocative Inefficiency: Evidence from France," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01299818, HAL.
    5. Martin Falk & Werner Hölzl & Harald Oberhofer, 2015. "Die Bedeutung von unternehmensbezogenen Individualdaten für die empirische Wirtschaftsforschung und wirtschaftspolitische Beratung," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 88(11), pages 845-857, November.
    6. Wifo, 2015. "WIFO-Monatsberichte, Heft 11/2015," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 88(11), November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    microdata; productivity; growth; employment; churning; misallocation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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