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Multiple Applications, Competing Mechanisms, and Market Power

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  • Gautier, Pieter
  • Albrecht, James
  • Cai, Xiaoming
  • Vroman, Susan

Abstract

We consider a labor market with search frictions in which workers make multiple applications and firms can post and commit to general mechanisms that may be conditioned both on the number of applications received and on the number of offers received by its candidate. When the contract space includes application fees, there exists a continuum of equilibria of which only one is socially efficient. In the inefficient equilibria, firms have market power that arises from the fact that the value of a worker's application portfolio depends on what other firms offer, which allows individual firms to free ride and offer workers less than their marginal contribution. Finally, by allowing for general mechanisms, we are able to examine the sources of inefficiency in the multiple applications literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Gautier, Pieter & Albrecht, James & Cai, Xiaoming & Vroman, Susan, 2019. "Multiple Applications, Competing Mechanisms, and Market Power," CEPR Discussion Papers 13912, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13912
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoming Cai & Pieter Gautier & Ronald Wolthoff, 2021. "Search, Screening and Sorting," Working Papers tecipa-699, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    2. Albrecht, James & Cai, Xiaoming & Gautier, Pieter & Vroman, Susan, 2023. "On the foundations of competitive search equilibrium with and without market makers," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    3. Kęstutis Peleckis, 2022. "Application of the Multicriteria Method Seeking to Assess Concentration, and Its Effects on Competition in the Manufacturing Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-30, September.
    4. Sarah Auster & Piero Gottardi & Ronald Wolthoff, 2022. "Simultaneous Search and Adverse Selection," Working Papers tecipa-734, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    5. Peltonen, Juho, 2023. "On the efficiency of labor markets with short-time work policies," MPRA Paper 119165, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Lee, Joonbae, 2022. "Role of common preferences in the outcome of many-to-many matching," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    7. He, Chuan & Mau, Karsten & Xu, Mingzhi, 2021. "Trade Shocks and Firms Hiring Decisions: Evidence from Vacancy Postings of Chinese Firms in the Trade War," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    8. Guo, Junjie, 2024. "Sequential job posting and equilibrium wage dispersion with bunching," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    9. Kęstutis Peleckis, 2022. "Application of the Fuzzy VIKOR Method to Assess Concentration and Its Effects on Competition in the Energy Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiple applications; Directed search; Competing mechanisms; Efficiency; market power;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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