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The micro elasticity of substitution and non‐neutral technology

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  • Devesh R. Raval

Abstract

This article provides evidence on the micro capital‐labor elasticity of substitution and the bias of technology. Using data on US manufacturing plants, I find several facts inconsistent with a Cobb‐Douglas production function, including large, persistent variation in capital shares. I then estimate the elasticity using variation in local wages, and several instruments for them, for identification. Estimates of the substitution elasticity using all plants range between 0.3 and 0.5, with similar estimates across industries. I use these elasticity estimates to measure labor augmenting productivity, and find that labor augmenting productivity is highly persistent, and correlated with exports, size, and growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Devesh R. Raval, 2019. "The micro elasticity of substitution and non‐neutral technology," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 50(1), pages 147-167, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:randje:v:50:y:2019:i:1:p:147-167
    DOI: 10.1111/1756-2171.12265
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    Cited by:

    1. Ensar Yılmaz & Zeynep Kaplan, 2022. "Heterogeneity of market power: firm-level evidence," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 1207-1228, May.
    2. Dewitte, Ruben & Dumont, Michel & Merlevede, Bruno & Rayp, Glenn & Verschelde, Marijn, 2020. "Firm-Heterogeneous Biased Technological Change: A nonparametric approach under endogeneity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(3), pages 1172-1182.
    3. G. Jacob Blackwood & Cindy Cunningham & Matthew Dey & Lucia Foster & Cheryl Grim & John C. Haltiwanger & Rachel L. Nesbit & Sabrina Pabilonia & Jay Stewart & Cody Tuttle & Zoltan Wolf, 2022. "Opening the Black Box: Task and Skill Mix and Productivity Dispersion," NBER Chapters, in: Technology, Productivity, and Economic Growth, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Gilbert Cette & Lorraine Koehl & Thomas Philippon, 2019. "The Labor Share in the Long Term: A Decline?," Post-Print hal-02446713, HAL.
    5. Ezra Oberfield & Devesh Raval, 2021. "Micro Data and Macro Technology," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(2), pages 703-732, March.
    6. Doraszelski, Ulrich & Jaumandreu, Jordi, 2019. "Using Cost Minimization to Estimate Markups," CEPR Discussion Papers 14114, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. James Harrigan & Ariell Reshef & Farid Toubal, 2018. "Techies, Trade, and Skill-Biased Productivity," NBER Working Papers 25295, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. E. Mark Curtis & Daniel G. Garrett & Eric C. Ohrn & Kevin A. Roberts & Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, 2021. "Capital Investment and Labor Demand," NBER Working Papers 29485, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Fabrizio Leone, 2022. "Multinationals, Robots, and the Labor Share," Working Papers ECARES 2022-17, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Leblebicioğlu, Asli & Weinberger, Ariel, 2021. "Openness and factor shares: Is globalization always bad for labor?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    11. Leone, Fabrizio, 2021. "Foreign Ownership and Robot Adoption," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 2111, CEPREMAP.
    12. Louis Rouanet, 0. "Competition is (still) a tough weed: A review essay of Thomas Philippon’s The great reversal: How America gave up on free markets," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 0, pages 1-14.
    13. Inoue, Emiko & Taniguchi, Hiroya & Yamada, Ken, 2022. "Measuring energy-saving technological change: International trends and differences," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    14. Ara Jo, 2020. "The Elasticity of Substitution between Clean and Dirty Energy with Technological Bias," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 20/344, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    15. Eren Gürer, 2022. "Rising markups and optimal redistributive taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(5), pages 1227-1259, October.
    16. Lucas Bretschger & Ara Jo, 2021. "Complementarity between labor and energy: A firm-?level analysis," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 21/364, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    17. Mallick, Debdulal & Maqsood, Nabeel, 2022. "Capital-labor substitution and misallocation," MPRA Paper 115090, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Gilbert Cette & Lorraine Koehl & Thomas Philippon, 2019. "The Labor Share in the Long Term: A Decline?," Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE), issue 510-511-5, pages 35-51.
    19. Maurice Bun & Jasper de Winter, 2019. "Measuring trends and persistence in capital and labor misallocation," DNB Working Papers 639, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    20. Gilbert Cette & Lorraine Koehl & Thomas Philippon, 2019. "Labor Shares in Some Advanced Economies," NBER Working Papers 26136, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Mertens, Matthias, 2022. "Micro-mechanisms behind declining labor shares: Rising market power and changing modes of production," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    22. Yuci Chen, 2019. "What Do Establishments Do When Wages Increase? Evidence from Minimum Wages in the United States," Working Papers 19-31, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    23. Louis Rouanet, 2022. "Competition is (still) a tough weed: A review essay of Thomas Philippon’s The great reversal: How America gave up on free markets," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 35(1), pages 115-128, March.
    24. Kerstin Hotte & Melline Somers & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2022. "Technology and jobs: A systematic literature review," Papers 2204.01296, arXiv.org.
    25. Lerche, Adrian, 2022. "Investment Tax Credits and the Response of Firms," IZA Discussion Papers 15668, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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