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Labor Market Power and Development

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Ruggieri
  • Tristany Armangué-Jubert
  • Nezih Guner

Abstract

Imperfect competition in labor markets can lead to efficiency losses and lower aggregate output. This paper examines how variations in labor market competitiveness may account for differences in GDP per capita among countries. By structurally estimating an oligopsony model with free entry across different development stages, we find that labor market power increases with GDP per capita. Wage mark-downs vary from 54% in low-income countries to around 24% in the richest ones. If labor markets in poorer countries were as competitive as in more developed ones, their output per capita could rise by up to 45%.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Ruggieri & Tristany Armangué-Jubert & Nezih Guner, 2024. "Labor Market Power and Development," Working Papers 1446, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:1446
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Markus Poschke, 2018. "The Firm Size Distribution across Countries and Skill-Biased Change in Entrepreneurial Technology," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 1-41, July.
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    2. Qin, Ni & Zeng, Junwei & Wang, Qiyao, 2025. "Labor mobility and corporate wage inequity: Evidence from the Hukou reform in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 1909-1926.
    3. Tristany Armangue-Jubert & Tancredi Rapone & Alessandro Ruggieri, 2026. "Firm Dynamics, Monopsony, and Aggregate Productivity Differences," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 59, January.
    4. Ihsaan Bassier & Joshua Budlender, 2025. "When do employers share? Rent sharing, monopsony and minimum wages," CEP Discussion Papers dp2134, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Francesco Amodio & Emanuele Brancati & Nicolás de Roux & Michele Di Maio, 2025. "Labor Market Institutions and Wage-Setting Power: Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean," Documentos CEDE 2025-26, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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