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How Costly Are Markups?

Author

Listed:
  • Chris Edmond
  • Virgiliu Midrigan
  • Daniel Yi Xu

Abstract

We study the welfare costs of markups in a dynamic model with heterogeneous firms and endogenously variable markups. We find that the welfare costs of markups are large. We decompose the costs of markups into three channels: (i) an aggregate markup that acts like a uniform output tax, (ii) misallocation of factors of production, and (iii) an inefficiently low rate of entry. We find that the aggregate markup accounts for about two-thirds of the costs, misallocation accounts for about one-third, and the costs due to inefficient entry are negligible. We evaluate simple policies aimed at reducing the costs of markups. Subsidizing entry is not an effective tool in our model: while more competition reduces individual firms' markups it also reallocates market shares towards larger firms and the net effect is that the aggregate markup hardly changes. Size-dependent policies aimed at reducing concentration can reduce the aggregate markup but have the side effect of greatly increasing misallocation and reducing aggregate productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Edmond & Virgiliu Midrigan & Daniel Yi Xu, 2018. "How Costly Are Markups?," NBER Working Papers 24800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24800
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    JEL classification:

    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation
    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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