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Labor Market Concentration, Earnings, and Inequality

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  • Kevin Rinz

Abstract

I document trends in local industrial concentration from 1976 through 2015 and estimate effects of concentration on earnings outcomes. Local concentration generally declined over that period, unlike national concentration, which declined sharply in the early 1980s before increasing to nearly its original level beginning around 1990. Increased local concentration reduces earnings and increases inequality. Because average concentration has fallen, the 90/10 earnings ratio was 6 percent lower and earnings 1 percent higher in 2015 than they would have been if local concentration were at its 1976 level. Most demographic subgroups experience mean earnings reductions, and all experience increases in inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Rinz, 2022. "Labor Market Concentration, Earnings, and Inequality," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(S), pages 251-283.
  • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:57:y:2022:i:s:p:s251-s283
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.monopsony.0219-10025R1
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sabien Dobbelaere & Boris Hirsch & Steffen Mueller & Georg Neuschaeffer, 2020. "Organised Labour, Labour Market Imperfections, and Employer Wage Premia," Working Paper Series in Economics 396, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    2. Efraim Benmelech & Nittai K. Bergman & Hyunseob Kim, 2022. "Strong Employers and Weak Employees: How Does Employer Concentration Affect Wages?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 57(S), pages 200-250.
    3. David W. Berger & Kyle F. Herkenhoff & Andreas R. Kostøl & Simon Mongey, 2023. "An Anatomy of Monopsony: Search Frictions, Amenities, and Bargaining in Concentrated Markets," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2023, volume 38, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Bassanini, Andrea & Batut, Cyprien & Caroli, Eve, 2023. "Labor Market Concentration and Wages: Incumbents versus New Hires," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Yue Qiu & Aaron Sojourner, 2023. "Labor-Market Concentration and Labor Compensation," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 76(3), pages 475-503, May.
    6. Bustos, Emil, 2023. "The Effect of Centrally Bargained Wages on Firm Growth," Working Paper Series 1456, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    7. Timothy Perri Perri, 2023. "The Death of Labor Market Competition Has Been Greatly Exaggerated," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 38(Summer 20), pages 39-54.
    8. Korpi, Martin & Halvarsson, Daniel, 2023. "City Size, Employer Concentration, and Wage Income Inequality," Ratio Working Papers 363, The Ratio Institute.
    9. David Autor & Christina Patterson & John Van Reenen, 2023. "Local and national concentration trends in jobs and sales: the role of structural transformation," CEP Discussion Papers dp1916, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    10. Abi Adams-Prassl & Tom Waters & Maria Balgova & Matthias Qian, 2023. "Firm concentration & job design: the case of schedule flexible work arrangements," IFS Working Papers W23/14, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    11. Furbach, Nina, 2023. "Demographics, labor market power and the spatial equilibrium," Ruhr Economic Papers 998, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Cazzuffi, Chiara & Pereira-López, Mariana & Rosales, Irving & Soloaga, Isidro, 2023. "Monopsony Power and Labor Income Inequality in Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13044, Inter-American Development Bank.
    13. Furbach, Nina, 2024. "Demographics, labor market power and the spatial equilibrium," Working Paper Series 2906, European Central Bank.
    14. Anders Akerman, 2024. "Market concentration and the relative demand for college‐educated labour," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(361), pages 292-319, January.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets

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