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Political Connections Reduce Job Creation: Firm-level Evidence from Lebanon

Author

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  • Ishac Diwan
  • Jamal Ibrahim Haidar

Abstract

Using firm-level data, we document that politically connected firms (PCFs) create more jobs than unconnected firms in Lebanon. We observe, however, that the presence of PCFs in a sector is correlated with lower job creation. Although causality is difficult to establish due to endogeneity issues, we find that PCFs expand, and non-PCFs retract, more around elections. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that unfair competition by PCFs hurts unconnected competitors so much that aggregate employment growth in the sector is affected negatively.

Suggested Citation

  • Ishac Diwan & Jamal Ibrahim Haidar, 2021. "Political Connections Reduce Job Creation: Firm-level Evidence from Lebanon," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(8), pages 1373-1396, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:57:y:2021:i:8:p:1373-1396
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2020.1849622
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Aboushady, Nora & Zaki, Chahir, 2023. "Are global value chains for sale? On business-state relations in the MENA region," IDOS Discussion Papers 17/2023, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    2. Aboushady, Nora & Zaki, Chahir, 2025. "Political connections and participation in global value chains: Evidence from MENA firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Assouad, Lydia, 2023. "Rethinking the Lebanese economic miracle: The extreme concentration of income and wealth in Lebanon, 2005–2014," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    4. Ruckteschler, Christian & Malik, Adeel & Eibl, Ferdinand, 2022. "Politics of trade protection in an autocracy: Evidence from an EU tariff liberalization in Morocco," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Haidar, Jamal & Diwan, Ishac, 2019. "Clientelism, Cronyism, and Job Creation in Lebanon," MPRA Paper 120489, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Assouad, Lydia, 2023. "Rethinking the Lebanese economic miracle: the extreme concentration of income and wealth in Lebanon, 2005–2014," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117680, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Iryna Didenko & Alina Yefimenko, 2023. "Interconnections assessment of banking capitalization with macroeconomic stability, including corruption and shadow economy," Technology audit and production reserves, PC TECHNOLOGY CENTER, vol. 4(4(72)), pages 60-67, August.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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