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Firm market power and the earnings distribution

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  • Webber, Douglas A.

Abstract

Using the Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD) data from the United States Census Bureau, I compute firm-level measures of labor market (monopsony) power. To generate these measures, I extend the empirical strategy of Manning (2003) and estimate the labor supply elasticity facing each private non-farm firm in the U.S. While a link between monopsony power and earnings has traditionally been assumed, I provide the first direct evidence of the positive relationship between a firm's labor supply elasticity and the earnings of its workers. I also contrast the dynamic model strategy with the more traditional use of concentration ratios to measure a firm's labor market power. In addition, I provide several alternative measures of labor market power which account for potential threats to identification such as endogenous mobility. Finally, I construct a counterfactual earnings distribution which allows the effects of firm market power to vary across the earnings distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Webber, Douglas A., 2015. "Firm market power and the earnings distribution," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 123-134.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:35:y:2015:i:c:p:123-134
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2015.05.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Ost, Ben & Pan, Weixiang & Webber, Doug, 2018. "The impact of mass layoffs on the educational investments of working college students," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer, 2016. "The Structure of Hiring Costs in Germany: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 193-218, April.
    3. Depew, Briggs & Sørensen, Todd A., 2013. "The elasticity of labor supply to the firm over the business cycle," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 196-204.
    4. Jahn, Elke & Hirsch, Boris, 2012. "Is there monopsonistic discrimination against immigrants? First evidence from linked employer employee data," Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 65417, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Depew, Briggs & Norlander, Peter & Sorensen, Todd A., 2013. "Flight of the H-1B: Inter-Firm Mobility and Return Migration Patterns for Skilled Guest Workers," IZA Discussion Papers 7456, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    6. Douglas A. Webber, 2016. "Firm-Level Monopsony and the Gender Pay Gap," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 323-345, April.
    7. Briggs Depew & Peter Norlander & Todd A. Sørensen, 2017. "Inter-firm mobility and return migration patterns of skilled guest workers," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(2), pages 681-721, April.
    8. Addison, John T. & Portugal, Pedro & Varejão, José, 2014. "Labor demand research: Toward a better match between better theory and better data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 4-11.
    9. repec:spr:izamig:v:7:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1186_s40176-017-0099-x is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Pedro Portugal & Fernando Martins, 2014. "Wage adjustments during a severe economic downturn," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles and Banco de Portugal Economic Studies, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    11. repec:spr:jknowl:v:8:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-016-0434-0 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. repec:taf:applec:v:49:y:2017:i:51:p:5268-5286 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Ronald Bachmann & Hanna Frings, 2017. "Monopsonistic competition, low-wage labour markets, and minimum wages – An empirical analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(51), pages 5268-5286, November.
    14. Dube, Arindrajit & Giuliano, Laura & Leonard, Jonathan, 2015. "Fairness and Frictions: The Impact of Unequal Raises on Quit Behavior," IZA Discussion Papers 9149, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    15. Antwi, Yaa Akosa & Maclean, J. Catherine, 2017. "State Health Insurance Mandates and Labor Market Outcomes: New Evidence on Old Questions," IZA Discussion Papers 10578, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    16. repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/696204 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Guimaraes, Paulo & Martins, Fernando & Portugal, Pedro, 2017. "Upward Nominal Wage Rigidity," IZA Discussion Papers 10510, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    18. Addison, John T. & Portugal, Pedro & Varejão, José, 2014. "Labor demand research: Toward a better match between better theory and better data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 4-11.
    19. Ben Ost & Weixiang Pan & Douglas Webber, 2018. "The Returns to College Persistence for Marginal Students: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from University Dismissal Policies," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(3), pages 779-805.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monopsony; Worker mobility; Earnings inequality;

    JEL classification:

    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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