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Lumpy investments, factor adjustments, and labour productivity

Author

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  • Øivind A. Nilsen
  • Arvid Raknerud
  • Marina Rybalka
  • Terje Skjerpen

Abstract

This paper describes firms' output and factor demands before, during, and after episodes of lumpy investment. By using a rich employer-employee panel data set for two manufacturing industries and one service industry, we focus on simultaneous variations in output, capital, materials, man hours, labour productivity, and the skill composition and hourly cost of labour. Investment spikes are followed by roughly proportional changes in sales, labour, and materials, and significant increases in capital intensity. The changes in labour productivity that are associated with the investment spikes are small, which indicates that productivity improvements are not related to instantaneous technological change through investment spikes. Focusing on sectoral differences, capital adjustments are found to be smoother in the service industry than in the two manufacturing industries which may be related to differences in labour intensities between the industries. Copyright 2009 , Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Øivind A. Nilsen & Arvid Raknerud & Marina Rybalka & Terje Skjerpen, 2009. "Lumpy investments, factor adjustments, and labour productivity," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 61(1), pages 104-127, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:oxecpp:v:61:y:2009:i:1:p:104-127
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    Cited by:

    1. Marco Grazzi & Nadia Jacoby & Tania Treibich, 2016. "Dynamics of investment and firm performance: comparative evidence from manufacturing industries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 125-179, August.
    2. Magne K. Asphjell & Wilko Letterie & Øivind A. Nilsen & Gerard A. Pfann, 2014. "Sequentiality Versus Simultaneity: Interrelated Factor Demand," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(5), pages 986-998, December.
    3. Øivind A. Nilsen & Arvid Raknerud & Marina Rybalka & Terje Skjerpen, 2011. "The Importance Of Skill Measurement For Growth Accounting," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 57(2), pages 293-305, June.
    4. Kapelko, Magdalena & Oude Lansink, Alfons & Stefanou, Spiro E., 2015. "Analyzing the impact of investment spikes on dynamic productivity growth," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 116-124.
    5. Enrico D'Elia & Alessandra Righi, 2017. "Firm's level labour intensity in Italy after the Great Recession," Working Papers 1, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    6. 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.
    7. Xiaodan Yu & Giovanni Dosi & Marco Grazzi & Jiasu Lei, 2015. "Inside the Virtuous Cycle between Productivity, Profitability, Investment and Corporate Growth: An Anatomy of China Industrialization," LEM Papers Series 2015/03, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    8. repec:eee:respol:v:46:y:2017:i:5:p:1020-1038 is not listed on IDEAS

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