Measuring Labor Market Power in Developing Countries: Evidence from Colombian Plants

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2024
Volume: 42
Issue: 4
Pages: 949 - 977

Score contribution per author:

2.018 = (α=2.02 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

How much can employers in low- and middle-income countries suppress wages below marginal productivity? Using plant and customs data from Colombia, we exploit predetermined variation across plants in sales export destinations combined with variation in exchange rates to generate plant-specific shocks to marginal revenue productivity and labor demand. We estimate a firm-level labor supply elasticity of around 2.5, implying that workers produce about 40% more than their wage level. This result is driven by plants that account for a large share of local employment, consistent with an oligopsonistic labor market model.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/725248
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24