Growing Oligopolies, Prices, Output, and Productivity

B-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Microeconomics
Year: 2021
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: 309-27

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

American industries have grown more concentrated over the last 40 years. In the absence of productivity innovation, this should lead to price hikes and output reductions, decreasing consumer welfare. With US census data from 1972 to 2012, I use price data to disentangle revenue from output. Industry-level estimates show that concentration increases are positively correlated to productivity and real output growth, uncorrelated with price changes and overall payroll, and negatively correlated with labor's revenue share. I rationalize these results in a simple model of competition. Productive industries (with growing oligopolists) expand real output and hold down prices, raising consumer welfare, while maintaining or reducing their workforces, lowering labor's share of output.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejmic:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:309-27
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25