Firm-Level Shocks and Labour Flows.

We analyse how labour flows respond to permanent idiosyncratic shifts in firm-level production functions and demand curves using very detailed Swedish micro data. Shocks to firms' physical productivity have only modest effects on firm-level employment decisions. In contrast, we document rapid and su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic Journal Vol. 131; no. 634; pp. 598 - 624
Main Authors: Carlsson, Mikael, Messina, Julián, Nordström Skans, Oskar
Format: Article
Published: Oxford University Press / USA Feb2021
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:We analyse how labour flows respond to permanent idiosyncratic shifts in firm-level production functions and demand curves using very detailed Swedish micro data. Shocks to firms' physical productivity have only modest effects on firm-level employment decisions. In contrast, we document rapid and substantial employment adjustments through hires and separations in response to firm-level demand shocks. The choice of adjustment margin depends on the sign of the shock: firms adjust through increased hires if these shocks are positive and through increased separations if the shocks are negative.