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Understanding how employment responds to productivity shocks in a model with inventories

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  • Yongsung Chang
  • Andreas Hornstein
  • Pierre-Daniel G. Sarte

Abstract

Whether technological progress raises or lowers aggregate employment in the short run has been the subject of much debate in recent years. Using a simple model of industry employment, we show that cross-industry differences of inventory holding costs, demand elasticities, and price rigidities potentially all affect employment decisions in the face of productivity shocks. In particular, the employment response to a permanent productivity shock is more likely to be positive the less costly it is to hold inventories, the more elastic industry demand is, and the more flexible prices are. Using data on 458 4-digit U.S. manufacturing industries over the period 1958-1996, we find statistically significant effects of variations in inventory holdings and demand elasticities on short-run employment responses, but find less evidence pertaining to the effects of measured price stickiness.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongsung Chang & Andreas Hornstein & Pierre-Daniel G. Sarte, 2006. "Understanding how employment responds to productivity shocks in a model with inventories," Working Paper 06-06, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedrwp:06-06
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Oleksiy Kryvtsov & Virgiliu Midrigan, 2010. "Inventories and Real Rigidities in New Keynesian Business Cycle Models," NBER Chapters, in: Sticky Prices and Inflation Dynamics (NBER-TCER-CEPR), pages 259-281, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Matteo Iacoviello & Fabio Schiantarelli & Scott Schuh, 2011. "Input And Output Inventories In General Equilibrium," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(4), pages 1179-1213, November.
    3. Dai Tiantian & Liu Xiangbo & Sun Wei, 2020. "The effects of monetary policy on input inventories," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 20(1), pages 1-34, January.
    4. Oleksiy Kryvtsov & Virgiliu Midrigan, 2013. "Inventories, Markups, and Real Rigidities in Menu Cost Models," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 80(1), pages 249-276.
    5. Kim, Sangho & Lim, Hyunjoon & Park, Donghyun, 2010. "Productivity and Employment in a Developing Country: Some Evidence from Korea," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 514-522, April.
    6. Ahmad Jafari Samimi & Yosof Essazadeh Roshan, 2012. "The Impact of ICT Shocks on Business Cycle Some Evidence from Iran," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 17(1), pages 123-145, winter.

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    Keywords

    Employment; Productivity;

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