Committing to Grow: Employment Targets and Firm Dynamics
Ufuk Akcigit, Harun Alp, André Diegmann, Nicolas Serrano-Velarde
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 17,
2023
Abstract
We examine effects of government-imposed employment targets on firm behavior. Theoretically, such policies create “polarization,“ causing low-productivity firms to exit the market while others temporarily distort their employment upward. Dynamically, firms are incentivized to improve productivity to meet targets. Using novel data from East German firms post-privatization, we find that firms with binding employment targets experienced 25% higher annual employment growth, a 1.1% higher annual exit probability, and 10% higher annual productivity growth over the target period. Structural estimates reveal substantial misallocation of labor across firms and that subsidizing productivity growth would yield twice the long term increases in employment.
Read article
Study Programme
Study Programme The course programme is a structured curriculum that provides doctoral students with an outstanding training. The programme comprises mandatory First-Year Courses…
See page
16.08.2023 • 21/2023
Gutachten zu Kohlemilliarden: Transparenz der Mittelvergabe erhöhen
Mit rund 41 Milliarden Euro will der Bund den Regionen helfen, die vom Kohleausstieg betroffen sind. Wird das Geld sinnvoll genutzt? Eine Analyse der Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute IWH und RWI gibt erstmals einen Überblick über das Programm und benennt Verbesserungspotenziale.
Oliver Holtemöller
Read
Productivity
Productivity: More with Less by Better Available resources are scarce. To sustain our society's income and living standards in a world with ecological and demographic change, we…
See page
Charts
Info Graphs Sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words. Therefore, we selected a few graphs to present our main topics visually. If you should have any questions or would…
See page
Financial Stability
Financial Systems: The Anatomy of the Market Economy How the financial system is constructed, how it works, how to keep it fit and what good a bit of chocolate can do. Dossier In…
See page
The Rise of Populist Parties in Europe
The Rise of Populist Parties in Europe: The Dark Side of Globalisation and Technological Change? Is the increasing strength of populist parties due to economic causes?…
See page
The Political Economy of the European Banking Union
The Political Economy of the European Banking Union Junior Professorship Lena Tonzer, PhD: The Political Economy of the European Banking Union: Causes for National Differences in…
See page
MULTIMSPROD/MULTIMSPROD AUT
MULTIMSPROD/MULTIMSPROD AUT MULTIMSPROD = Enhancing the Micro Foundation of the Research Output of National Productivity Board (NPBs). Using CompNet and Expanding its Micro Data…
See page
Gropps Wirtschafts-Podcast
Gropps Wirtschafts-Podcast Photo: MDR/Isabel Theis Twice a month, IWH President Reint Gropp and Ralf Geißler , editor at MDR radio station, focus on major questions of economics…
See page