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The convergence of price-cost margins

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Author Info
Hervé Boulhol () (IXIS-CIB et TEAM)

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Abstract

This paper gives estimates of sectoral markup trends in thirteen OECD countries over the last three decades. It concludes with a slight, albeit heterogeneous, increase in price-cost margins (PCMs) overall, contrary to the generally expected effect of increased competition. More strikingly, it establishes a clear pattern of PCM convergence both across countries and sectors. This convergence means that high margins have shrunk and low margins grown. These movements seem to be linked to the decline in the labour share. They point to a need to search for factors counterbalancing the pro-competitive effect on markups.

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Paper provided by Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1) in its series Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques with number bla05056.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: Sep 2005
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:mse:wpsorb:bla05056

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Related research
Keywords: Markup; price-cost margin; pro-competitive effect; wage bargaining; labour share.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order; Noneconomic International Organizations;; Economic Integration and Globalization: General

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  25. repec:rus:hseeco:122439 is not listed on IDEAS
  26. Hervé Boulhol, 2005. "The upward bias of markups estimated from the price-based methodology," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques bla05055, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1). [Downloadable!]
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. H. Boulhol & S. Dobbelaere & S. Maioli, 2007. "Imports as product and labour market discipline," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 07/479, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
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