Information Technology and Returns to Scale

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2024
Volume: 114
Issue: 6
Pages: 1769-1815

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

What are the implications of the dramatic fall in IT prices for aggregate technology? When firm-level technologies are continuously differentiable, a factor price shock leads to (i) a substitution between factors and/or (ii) an endogenous response of returns to scale. The second channel is governed by the output elasticity of relative factor demand. Using detailed firm-level data from France, we estimate this elasticity to be positive for IT factor demand. A quantitative exercise accounting for both technological channels shows that falling IT prices can explain much of the changes in concentration and the composition of aggregate labor share in France.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:114:y:2024:i:6:p:1769-1815
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24