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The “Matthew Effect” and Market Concentration:Search Complementarities and Monopsony Power

Author

Listed:
  • Jesús Fernández-Villaverde
  • Federico Mandelman
  • Yang Yu
  • Francesco Zanetti

Abstract

This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms that face search complementarities in the formation of vendor contracts. Search complementarities amplify small differences in productivity among firms. Market concentration fosters monopsony power in the labor market, magnifying profits and further enhancing high-productivity firms’ output share. Firms want to get bigger and hire more workers, in stark contrast with the classic monopsony model, where a firm aims to reduce the amount of labor it hires. The combination of search complementarities and monopsony power induces a strong “Matthew effect” that endogenously generates superstar firms out of uniform idiosyncratic productivity distributions. Reductions in search costs increase market concentration, lower the labor income share, and increase wage inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesús Fernández-Villaverde & Federico Mandelman & Yang Yu & Francesco Zanetti, 2021. "The “Matthew Effect” and Market Concentration:Search Complementarities and Monopsony Power," Economics Series Working Papers 932, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:wpaper:932
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiwen Bai & Jesús Fernández-Villaverde & Yiliang Li & Francesco Zanetti, 2024. "The Causal Effects of Global Supply Chain Disruptions on Macroeconomic Outcomes: Evidence and Theory," Economics Series Working Papers 1033, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Ghassibe, Mishel & Zanetti, Francesco, 2022. "State dependence of fiscal multipliers: the source of fluctuations matters," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 1-23.
    3. Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde & Yang Yu & Francesco Zanetti, 2025. "Defensive Hiring and Creative Destruction," PIER Working Paper Archive 25-007, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    4. Xu, Le & Yu, Yang & Zanetti, Francesco, 2025. "The adoption and termination of suppliers over the business cycle," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Ernst Ekkehard & Feist Lisa, 2024. "Tomorrow at Work: The Age of Shortages," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Sciendo, vol. 59(3), pages 125-131.
    6. Silva, Jose I. & Okabe, Tomohito & Urzay, Sergi, 2025. "Labor share and market power in European firms," MPRA Paper 123442, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Jan 2025.
    7. Mandelman, Federico & Yu, Yang & Zanetti, Francesco, 2026. "Immigration, Labor Shortages, and Labor Market Dynamics," CEPR Discussion Papers 21301, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    8. Lyu, Chen & Wang, Ke & Shi, Xunpeng & Cai, Bofeng & Yan, Gang, 2026. "Effectiveness of market incentives in China’s National Emission Trading Scheme," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 251-261.
    9. Jesús Fernández-Villaverde & Yiliang Li & Le Xu & Francesco Zanetti, 2025. "Charting the Uncharted: The (Un)Intended Consequences of Oil Sanctions and Dark Shipping," CESifo Working Paper Series 11684, CESifo.
    10. Guillermo Verduzco-Bustos & Francesco Zanetti, 2026. "The Effects of Geopolitical Oil Price Shocks," CAMA Working Papers 2026-24, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    11. Hashmat Khan & Konstantinos Metaxoglou, 2021. "The Behavior of the Aggregate U.S. Wage Markdown," Carleton Economic Papers 21-06, Carleton University, Department of Economics.

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    JEL classification:

    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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