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Do Start-ups Pay Less?

Author

Listed:
  • M. Diane Burton
  • Michael S. Dahl
  • Olav Sorenson

Abstract

The authors analyze Danish registry data from 1991 to 2006 to determine how firm age and firm size influence wages. Unadjusted statistics suggest that smaller firms paid less than larger firms paid, and that firm age had little or no bearing on wages. After adjusting for differences in the characteristics of employees hired by these firms, however, they observe both firm age and firm size effects. Larger firms paid more than did smaller firms for observationally equivalent individuals but, contrary to conventional wisdom, younger firms paid more than older firms. The size effect, however, dominates the age effect. Thus, although the typical start-up—being both young and small—paid less than a more established employer, the largest start-ups paid a wage premium.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Diane Burton & Michael S. Dahl & Olav Sorenson, 2018. "Do Start-ups Pay Less?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 71(5), pages 1179-1200, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:71:y:2018:i:5:p:1179-1200
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Fackler & Lisa Hölscher & Claus Schnabel & Antje Weyh, 2022. "Does working at a start-up pay off?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 2211-2233, April.
    2. Tania Babina & Wenting Ma & Christian Moser & Paige Ouimet & Rebecca Zarutskie, 2019. "Pay, Employment, and Dynamics of Young Firms," Working Papers 19-23, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    3. Michael Roach & Henry Sauermann & John Skrentny, 2019. "Are Foreign STEM PhDs More Entrepreneurial? Entrepreneurial Characteristics, Preferences, and Employment Outcomes of Native and Foreign Science and Engineering PhD Students," NBER Chapters, in: The Roles of Immigrants and Foreign Students in US Science, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, pages 207-228, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Kristina Nyström, 2021. "Working for an entrepreneur: heaven or hell?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 919-931, February.
    5. Aleksei Chernulich & Romain Gauriot & Daehong Min, 2023. "Endogenous Tracking: Sorting and Peer Effects," Working Papers 20230084, New York University Abu Dhabi, Department of Social Science, revised Jan 2023.
    6. Benedikt Schröpf, 2023. "The dynamics of wage dispersion between firms: the role of firm entry and exit," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 57(1), pages 1-29, December.
    7. Vera Rocha & Luca Grilli, 2024. "Early-stage start-up hiring: the interplay between start-ups’ initial resources and innovation orientation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1641-1668, April.
    8. Nazanin Eftekhari & Bram Timmermans, 2022. "New venture dissolution and the comobility of new venture teams," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 279-298, June.
    9. Pawel Adrjan, 2018. "Risky Business? Earnings Prospects of Employees at Young Firms," Economics Series Working Papers 852, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    10. Mahieu, Jeroen, 2020. "Creative Destruction? Local Business Conditions and the Earnings of Employees at Startups," MPRA Paper 98557, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Schmieder, Johannes F., 2023. "Establishment age and wages," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 233(2), pages 424-442.
    12. Dogan Gülümser, 2024. "Hiring for old and new positions: Understanding wage formation, sorting, and," French Stata Users' Group Meetings 2024 05, Stata Users Group.
    13. Giulia Cattafi & Giovanna Mariani & Francesco Pistolesi & Domenico Nicol?, 2023. "Cheating in the evaluation. An expedient to estimate the impact of intangibles on the enterprise value of the high-growth start-ups," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(3), pages 193-218.
    14. Seung Hoon D. Chung & Simon C. Parker, 2023. "Founder affiliations: jobseeker reactions and impact on employee recruitment by start-up ventures," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 259-283, June.
    15. Alina Grecu & Wolfgang Sofka & Marcus M. Larsen & Torben Pedersen, 2022. "Unintended signals: Why companies with a history of offshoring have to pay wage penalties for new hires," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(3), pages 534-549, April.
    16. Schröpf, Benedikt, 2021. "The dynamics of wage dispersion between firms: The role of firm entry and exit," Discussion Papers 120, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.

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