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Steady-state growth and the elasticity of substitution

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  • Irmen, Andreas

Abstract

In a neoclassical economy with endogenous capital- and labor-augmenting technical change the steady-state growth rate of output per worker is shown to increase in the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor. This confirms the assessment of Klump and de La Grandville (2000) that a greater elasticity of substitution allows for faster of economic growth. However, unlike their findings my result applies to the steady-state growth rate. Moreover, it does not hinge on particular assumptions on how aggregate savings come about. It holds for any household sector allowing savings to grow at the same rate as aggregate output.

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  • Irmen, Andreas, 2011. "Steady-state growth and the elasticity of substitution," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1215-1228, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:35:y:2011:i:8:p:1215-1228
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    Cited by:

    1. Debdulal Mallick, 2012. "The role of capital‐labour substitution in economic growth," Indian Growth and Development Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 89-101, April.
    2. Growiec, Jakub & Mućk, Jakub, 2020. "Isoelastic Elasticity Of Substitution Production Functions," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(7), pages 1597-1634, October.
    3. Gómez, Manuel A., 2015. "Capital–labor substitution and long-run growth in a model with physical and human capital," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 106-113.
    4. Rainer Klump & Peter McAdam & Alpo Willman, 2012. "The Normalized Ces Production Function: Theory And Empirics," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 769-799, December.
    5. Irmen, Andreas, 2018. "A Generalized Steady-State Growth Theorem," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(4), pages 779-804, June.
    6. Peter McAdam, 2016. "de La Grandville, Olivier: Economic growth: a unified approach," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 91-96, September.
    7. Xue, Jianpo & Yip, Chong K., 2013. "Aggregate elasticity of substitution and economic growth: A synthesis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PA), pages 60-75.
    8. Temple, Jonathan, 2012. "The calibration of CES production functions," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 294-303.
    9. Mallick, Debdulal, 2012. "The role of the elasticity of substitution in economic growth: A cross-country investigation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 682-694.
    10. Growiec, Jakub & McAdam, Peter & Mućk, Jakub, 2018. "Endogenous labor share cycles: Theory and evidence," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 74-93.
    11. Manuel Gómez, 2016. "Factor substitution is an engine of growth in a model with productive public expenditure," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 37-48, January.
    12. Irmen, Andreas, 2011. "Steady-state growth and the elasticity of substitution," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1215-1228, August.
    13. Irmen Andreas, 2020. "Endogenous task-based technical change—factor scarcity and factor prices," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 81-118, June.
    14. Kemnitz, Alexander & Knoblach, Michael, 2020. "Endogenous sigma-augmenting technological change: An R&D-based approach," CEPIE Working Papers 02/20, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    15. Irmen, Andreas & Tabaković, Amer, 2017. "Endogenous capital- and labor-augmenting technical change in the neoclassical growth model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 346-384.
    16. Jakub Mućk & Peter McAdam & Jakub Growiec, 2018. "Will The “True” Labor Share Stand Up? An Applied Survey On Labor Share Measures," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 961-984, September.
    17. Yoseph Yilma Getachew, 2011. "Public Investment Policy, Distribution, and Growth: What Levels of Redistribution through Public Investment Maximize Growth?," DEGIT Conference Papers c016_072, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    18. Antony, Jürgen, 2014. "Technical change and the elasticity of factor substitution," Beiträge der Hochschule Pforzheim 147, Pforzheim University.
    19. T.V.S.Ramamohan Rao, 2011. "Contemporary Relevance and Ongoing Controversies Related to the CES Production Function," Journal of Quantitative Economics, The Indian Econometric Society, vol. 9(2), pages 36-57, July.
    20. Manuel A. Gómez, 2020. "Factor substitution, long‐run growth, and speed of convergence in the one‐sector convex endogenous‐growth model," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(1), pages 2-21, February.
    21. Gamlath, Sharmila & Lahiri, Radhika, 2018. "Public and private education expenditures, variable elasticity of substitution and economic growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-14.
    22. Trimborn, Timo, 2018. "On the analysis of endogenous growth models with a balanced growth path," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 40-50.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital accumulation Elasticity of substitution Direction of technical change Neoclassical growth model;

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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