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Longitudinal firm-level data: problems and solutions

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  • Karen Geurts

    (University of Leuven (KU Leuven))

Abstract

Empirical measures of firm and employment dynamics based on administrative datasets are biased due to missing links in the longitudinal observation of firms. This paper presents a systematic overview of the problems and evaluates two prevailing solutions. We quantify the biases in a set of widely used empirical measures and show which estimates are most sensitive to missing linkages. The biases are found to be especially large in the size distribution of entrants and exits, in firm-level growth estimates for medium and large firms, and in job reallocation measures. We show that an employee-flow linkage method is more effective in reducing bias than a traditional link method often used by statistical agencies. A consistent approach is developed for imputing firm-level growth measures of linked firms. The analysis is carried out using a longitudinal dataset for Belgium and discussed from an international perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Karen Geurts, 2016. "Longitudinal firm-level data: problems and solutions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 425-445, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:46:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s11187-015-9693-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-015-9693-6
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bertheau, Antoine & Bunzel, Henning & Vejlin, Rune Majlund, 2020. "Employment Reallocation over the Business Cycle: Evidence from Danish Data," IZA Discussion Papers 13681, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Geurts, Karen & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes, 2016. "Firm creation and post-entry dynamics of de novo entrants," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 59-104.
    4. Shyngys Karimov & Jozef Konings, 2021. "How lockdown causes a missing generation of start-ups and jobs," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 457-473, July.
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    6. Dixon Jay & Petrunia Robert & Rollin Anne-Marie, 2018. "Studying Firm Growth Distributions with a Large Administrative Employment Database," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 238(3-4), pages 189-221, July.
    7. Simon Bruhn & Johanna Deperi, 2022. "The Contribution of Digital Firms to Productivity Growth in the Manufacturing Sector: A Decomposition Approach," GREDEG Working Papers 2022-42, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    8. Shyngys Karimov & Jozef Konings, 2021. "The start-up gap and jobs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 2067-2084, December.
    9. Per Davidsson, 2023. "Making contributions: personal reflections from the co-creative evolution of entrepreneurship research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1391-1410, December.
    10. Raschid Amamou & Áron Gereben & Marcin Wolski, 2023. "Assessing the impact of the EIB’s intermediated lending to SMEs during funding shocks," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 975-1007, March.

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