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International Diversification, Reallocation, and the Labor Share

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Abstract
How does growing international financial diversification affect firm-level and aggregate labor shares? We study this question using a novel framework of firm labor choice in the face of aggregate risk. The theory implies a cross-section of labor risk premia and labor shares that appear as markups in firm-level data. International risk sharing leads to a reallocation of labor towards riskier/low labor share firms alongside a rise in within-firm labor shares, matching key micro-level facts. We use cross-country firm-level data to document a number of empirical patterns consistent with the theory, namely: (i) riskier firms have lower labor shares and (ii) international financial diversification is associated with a reallocation towards risky/low labor share firms. Our estimates suggest the reallocation effect has dominated the within effect in recent decades; on net, increased financial integration has reduced the corporate labor share in the U.S. by about 2.5 percentage points, roughly one-third of the total decline since the 1970s.

Suggested Citation

  • Joel M. David & Romain Ranciere & David Zeke, 2023. "International Diversification, Reallocation, and the Labor Share," Working Paper Series WP 2023-16, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedhwp:96041
    DOI: 10.21033/wp-2023-16
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    international diversification; international risk sharing; reallocation; labor share;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E25 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Aggregate Factor Income Distribution
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • F62 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Macroeconomic Impacts
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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