Declining Dynamism, Allocative Efficiency, and the Productivity Slowdown
Ryan A. Decker, John Haltiwanger, Ron S. Jarmin, Javier Miranda
American Economic Review · 2017 · Volume 107 · Issue 5
Abstract
A large literature documents declining measures of business dynamism including high-growth young firm activity and job reallocation. A distinct literature describes a slowdown in the pace of aggregate labor productivity growth. We relate these patterns by studying changes in productivity growth from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s using firm-level data. We find that diminished allocative efficiency gains can account for the productivity slowdown in a manner that interacts with the within-firm productivity growth distribution. The evidence suggests that the decline in dynamism is reason for concern and sheds light on debates about the causes of slowing productivity growth.
Keywords
Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis, Production, Cost, Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity, Capacity, Allocative Efficiency, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Human Capital, Skills, Occupational Choice, Labor Productivity, Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope
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