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Employment growth following takeovers

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  • Van Biesebroeck, Johannes
  • Geurts, Karen

Abstract

We use a comprehensive sample of takeovers in Belgium to show that they are remarkably common and an important part of many firms’ growth process. They affect both small and large firms and, over a five-year period, 17 percent of private employment. We estimate the impact of takeovers on employment growth of the merged entity using an empirical framework that explicitly takes into account that mergers are formed by pairs of firms. It allows for post-merger employment outcomes that are heterogeneous and determined jointly by the characteristics of both partners. The average merger is estimated to reduce employment by 8% over a four-year period, but the contraction can be three times as large for some types of mergers, while employment expands for other types.

Suggested Citation

  • Van Biesebroeck, Johannes & Geurts, Karen, 2017. "Employment growth following takeovers," CEPR Discussion Papers 12167, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12167
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    Cited by:

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    2. Sabien Dobbelaere & Dániel Prinz & Grace McCormack & Sándor Sóvágó, 2022. "Firm consolidation and labor market outcomes," IFS Working Papers W22/45, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. Dobbelaere, Sabien & McCormack, Grace & Prinz, Daniel & Sovago, Sandor, 2022. "Firm Consolidation and Labor Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 15724, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Sabien Dobbelaere & Grace McCormack & Daniel Prinz & Sándor Sóvágó, 2022. "Firm Consolidation and Labor Market Outcomes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-085/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Jun Du & Sourafel Girma & Holger Görg & Ignat Stepanok, 2023. "Who wins and who loses from state subsidies?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(3), pages 1007-1031, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Merger; M&a; Firm dynamics; Matching; Efficiency defense;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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