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Employer size-wage effects: evidence from matched employer-employee survey data in the UK

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  • Clive Belfield
  • Xiangdong Wei

Abstract

This paper employs a random sample of matched employer-employee data from the UK to test seven possible explanations for the positive relationship between employer size and pay. Individual wage equations show a large employer size-wage premium. We then control for a range of establishment-level variables, based on seven hypotheses typically advanced to explain this premium. Each establishment-level factor reduces the wage premium, but a sizeable premium nonetheless remains. In adjudicating on these hypotheses, we find a strong association between the internal labour market and the employer size-wage premium. This finding supports the theory that the employer size-wage effect may be due to the higher costs of turnover or monitoring in larger firms. However, we find contrasting effects for public versus private sector establishments.

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  • Clive Belfield & Xiangdong Wei, 2004. "Employer size-wage effects: evidence from matched employer-employee survey data in the UK," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 185-193.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:36:y:2004:i:3:p:185-193
    DOI: 10.1080/0003684042000175316
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    2. Kelly D. Edmiston, 2007. "The role of small and large businesses in economic development," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 92(Q II), pages 73-97.
    3. John S. Heywood & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2016. "Employer Size Effects for Workers vs. Supervisors: British Survey Data," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 07-2016, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    4. Aysit Tansel & Şaziye Gazîoğlu, 2014. "Management-employee relations, firm size and job satisfaction," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(8), pages 1260-1275, October.
    5. Dimitris Pavlopoulos & Didier Fouarge, 2010. "Escaping low pay: do male labour market entrants stand a chance?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(8), pages 908-927, November.
    6. Beatriz Muriel Hernández, 2016. "An Analysis of Firm Characteristics as Earnings Determinants: The Urban Bolivia Case," Development Research Working Paper Series 04/2016, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
    7. Sebastien Valeyre, 2020. "Refined model of the covariance/correlation matrix between securities," Papers 2001.08911, arXiv.org.
    8. Sebastien Valeyre & Denis Grebenkov & Sofiane Aboura & Francois Bonnin, 2016. "Should employers pay their employees better? An asset pricing approach," Papers 1602.00931, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2016.
    9. H. Y. Sun, 2014. "Longitudinal Evidence of Firm Size Effect on Wage Premium and Wage Differential in Korean Labor Market," International Journal of Economic Sciences, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(3), pages 66-85.
    10. Colin Green & John S. Heywood & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2017. "Employer size and supervisor earnings: Evidence from Britain," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 04-2017, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    11. Giulio Bottazzi & Marco Grazzi, 2014. "Dynamics Of Productivity And Cost Of Labour In Italian Manufacturing Firms," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(S1), pages 55-73, December.
    12. C. J. Krizan & Adela Luque & Alice Zawacki, 2014. "The Effect Of Employer Health Insurance Offering On The Growth And Survival Of Small Business Prior To The Affordable Care Act," Working Papers 14-22, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    13. Bayo-Moriones, Alberto & Galdon-Sanchez, Jose Enrique & Martinez-de-Morentin, Sara, 2008. "What Are the Factors Behind Pay Settlements? Evidence from Spanish and British Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3401, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Gesine Stephan & Knut Gerlach, 2005. "Wage settlements and wage setting: results from a multi-level model," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(20), pages 2297-2306.
    15. Antonelli, Cristiano & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2019. "Wage inequality and directed technological change: Implications for income distribution," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 59-65.
    16. Ksenia V. Rozhkova & Sergey Yu. Roshchin & Sergey A. Solntsev, 2018. "Wage Adjustment Policies In Russian Firms," HSE Working papers WP BRP 205/EC/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    17. Wenshu Gao & Russell Smyth, 2011. "Firm size and wages in China," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 353-357.
    18. Kelly D. Edmiston, 2004. "The role of small business in economic development," Community Affairs Research Working Paper 2005-01, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    19. Haroon Bhorat & Morné Oosthuizen & Kezia Lilenstein & François Steenkamp, 2017. "Firm-level determinants of earnings in the formal sector of the South African labour market," WIDER Working Paper Series 025, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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