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Middlemen in Search Equilibrium

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  • Adrian Masters

Abstract

This paper shows how including divisibility of goods and productive heterogeneity leads to the emergence of middlemen in an equilibrium search environment. In the baseline model, middlemen are welfare reducing and their number increases as market frictions are reduced. When the model is extended to allow for time taken in production and increasing returns-to-scale in the market meeting technology, middlemen can be beneficial to society by speeding up the meeting process.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Masters, 2004. "Middlemen in Search Equilibrium," Discussion Papers 04-11, University at Albany, SUNY, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:nya:albaec:04-11
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    File URL: http://www.albany.edu/economics/research/workingp/2004/ucweb.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Diamond, Peter A, 1982. "Aggregate Demand Management in Search Equilibrium," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(5), pages 881-894, October.
    2. Kiyotaki, Nobuhiro & Wright, Randall, 1989. "On Money as a Medium of Exchange," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(4), pages 927-954, August.
    3. Martin J. Osborne & Ariel Rubinstein, 2005. "Bargaining and Markets," Levine's Bibliography 666156000000000515, UCLA Department of Economics.
    4. Alok Johri & John Leach, 2002. "Middlemen and the Allocation of Heterogeneous Goods," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 43(2), pages 347-362, May.
    5. Christopher A. Pissarides, 2000. "Equilibrium Unemployment Theory, 2nd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262161877, December.
    6. Mortensen, Dale T., 1987. "Job search and labor market analysis," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & R. Layard (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 15, pages 849-919, Elsevier.
    7. Eric Smith, 2004. "Intermediated Search," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 71(284), pages 619-636, November.
    8. Oliver Jean Blanchard & Peter Diamond, 1989. "The Beveridge Curve," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 20(1), pages 1-76.
    9. Arthur J. Hosios, 1990. "On The Efficiency of Matching and Related Models of Search and Unemployment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(2), pages 279-298.
    10. Gary Biglaiser, 1993. "Middlemen as Experts," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 24(2), pages 212-223, Summer.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Pieter Gautier & Bo Hu & Makoto Watanabe, 2023. "Marketmaking Middlemen," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 54(1), pages 83-103, March.
    2. Leung, Charles Ka Yui & Tse, Chung-Yi, 2017. "Flipping in the housing market," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 232-263.
    3. Thành Nguyen & Vijay Subramanian & Randall Berry, 2016. "Delay in Trade Networks," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(3), pages 646-661, June.
    4. Watanabe Makoto, 2020. "Middlemen: A Directed Search Equilibrium Approach," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-37, June.
    5. Masters, Adrian, 2008. "Unpleasant middlemen," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 73-86, October.
    6. Makoto Watanabe, 2018. "Middle Men: The Visible Market-Makers," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 156-170, June.
    7. Randall Wright & Yuet‐Yee Wong, 2014. "Buyers, Sellers, And Middlemen: Variations On Search‐Theoretic Themes," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 55(2), pages 375-397, May.
    8. Watanabe, Makoto, 2010. "A model of merchants," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 145(5), pages 1865-1889, September.
    9. Yuet-Yee Wong & Randall Wright, 2011. "Buyers, sellers and middlemen: variations in search theory," Working Papers 691, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    10. Yoichi Nishihara, 2014. "An Anonymous Buyer of Intangible Property," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 511-518, December.
    11. Holzner, Christian Ludwig & Watanabe, Makoto, 2015. "Labor Market Equilibrium with Public Employment Agency," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113097, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Nosal, Ed & Wong, Yuet-Yee & Wright, Randall, 2019. "Intermediation in markets for goods and markets for assets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 876-906.
    13. V. P. Nirmal Roy, 2020. "Part-time Brokers in Financialised Rural Land Markets: Processes, Typology and Implications," Review of Development and Change, , vol. 25(1), pages 70-88, June.

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