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Competition, human capital and income inequality with limited commitment

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  • Marimon, Ramon
  • Quadrini, Vincenzo

Abstract

We develop a dynamic model with two-sided limited commitment to study how barriers to competition, such as restrictions to business start-up and non-competitive covenants, affect the incentive to accumulate human capital. When contracts are not enforceable, high barriers lower the outside value of 'skilled workers' and reduce the incentive to accumulate human capital. In contrast, low barriers can result in over-accumulation of human capital. This can be socially optimal if there are positive spillovers. A calibration exercise shows that this mechanism can account for a sizable portion of cross-country income inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Marimon, Ramon & Quadrini, Vincenzo, 2011. "Competition, human capital and income inequality with limited commitment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(3), pages 976-1008, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:146:y:2011:i:3:p:976-1008
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    Cited by:

    1. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Yuan, Zihao & Ho, Shan-Ju, 2022. "How does export diversification affect income inequality? International evidence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 410-421.
    2. Anwar, Sajid & Sun, Sizhong, 2025. "Outward FDI and income inequality in the home country: The role of wage bargaining," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. Le, Thai-Ha & Nguyen, Canh Phuc & Su, Thanh Dinh & Tran-Nam, Binh, 2020. "The Kuznets curve for export diversification and income inequality: Evidence from a global sample," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 21-39.
    4. Jeremy Greenwood & Juan M. Sanchez & Cheng Wang, 2010. "Financing Development: The Role of Information Costs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(4), pages 1875-1891, September.
    5. Moen, Espen R. & Heggedal, Tom-Reiel & Preugschat, Edgar, 2014. "Productivity Spillovers Through Labor Mobility," CEPR Discussion Papers 9850, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Liyan Shi, 2023. "Optimal Regulation of Noncompete Contracts," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(2), pages 425-463, March.
    7. Liyan Shi, 2021. "The Macro Impact of Noncompete Contracts," EIEF Working Papers Series 2103, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised 2021.
    8. Vincenzo Quadrini & Ramon Marimon & Thomas Cooley, 2012. "Risky Investments with Limited Commitment," 2012 Meeting Papers 603, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. Albert Marcet & Ramon Marimon, 2019. "Recursive Contracts," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 87(5), pages 1589-1631, September.
    10. Thomas Cooley & Ramon Marimon & Vincenzo Quadrini, 2019. "Commitment and Competition," 2019 Meeting Papers 424, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Heggedal, Tom-Reiel & Moen, Espen R. & Preugschat, Edgar, 2017. "Productivity spillovers through labor mobility in search equilibrium," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 551-602.
    12. Corbae, Dean & Marimon, Ramon, 2011. "Introduction to Incompleteness and Uncertainty in Economics," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(3), pages 775-784, May.
    13. Espen Moen, 2012. "Knowledge spillovers in competitive search equilibrium," 2012 Meeting Papers 913, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Pedro Jácome de Moura & Carlos Denner Santos Junior & Carlo Gabriel Porto-Bellini & José Jorge Lima Dias Junior, 2024. "The Over-Concentration of Innovation and Firm-Specific Knowledge in the Artificial Intelligence Industry," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 20547-20577, December.
    15. Ai, Hengjie & Li, Rui, 2015. "Investment and CEO compensation under limited commitment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 452-472.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D99 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Other
    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth

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