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Talent in Distressed Firms: Investigating the Labor Costs of Financial Distress

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  • RAMIN P. BAGHAI
  • RUI C. SILVA
  • VIKTOR THELL
  • VIKRANT VIG

Abstract

The importance of skilled labor and the inalienability of human capital expose firms to the risk of losing talent at critical times. Using Swedish microdata, we document that firms lose workers with the highest cognitive and noncognitive skills as they approach bankruptcy. In a quasi‐experiment, we confirm that financial distress drives these results: following a negative export shock caused by exogenous currency movements, talent abandons the firm, but only if the exporter is highly leveraged. Consistent with talent dependence being associated with higher labor costs of financial distress, firms that rely more on talent have more conservative capital structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramin P. Baghai & Rui C. Silva & Viktor Thell & Vikrant Vig, 2021. "Talent in Distressed Firms: Investigating the Labor Costs of Financial Distress," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 2907-2961, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:76:y:2021:i:6:p:2907-2961
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.13077
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    4. Chowdhury, Rajib & Doukas, John A., 2022. "Protection of trade secrets and value of cash holdings: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    5. Alexey I. Shinkevich & Svetlana S. Kudryavtseva & Vera P. Samarina, 2023. "Ecosystems as an Innovative Tool for the Development of the Financial Sector in the Digital Economy," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-15, January.
    6. Christoph Feichter & Frank Moers & Oscar Timmermans, 2022. "Relative Performance Evaluation and Competitive Aggressiveness," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1859-1913, December.
    7. YunGuo Liu & Minghui Zheng & Yue Xu & Sujuan Xie, 2023. "Deleveraging for talents: Human capital reliance and corporate leverage," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(5), pages 4823-4847, December.
    8. ED deHAAN & NAN LI & FRANK S. ZHOU, 2023. "Financial Reporting and Employee Job Search," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 571-617, May.
    9. Tho Pham & Oleksandr Talavera & Zhuangchen Wu, 2023. "Labor Markets during War Time: Evidence from Online Job Ads," Discussion Papers 23-03, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.

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