Firm Productivity, Wages, and Sorting

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2024
Volume: 42
Issue: 1
Pages: 85 - 119

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We study the link between firm productivity and the wages that firms pay. Guided by a search-matching model with large firms, worker and firm heterogeneity, and production complementarities, we infer firm productivity by estimating firm-level production functions. Using German data, we find that the most productive firms do not pay the highest wages. Worker transitions from high- to medium-productivity firms are on average associated with wage gains. Productivity sorting—that is, the sorting of high-ability workers into high-productivity firms—is less pronounced than the sorting into high-wage firms.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/722564
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25