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R&D, Market Power and the Cyclicality of Employment

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Abstract
This paper provides a first look into the joint effects of research and development (R&D) and market power on the cyclicality of employment. It presents a theoretical model with R&D and monopolistically competitive firms which shows that firms smooth their R&D activities when they face large R&D adjustment costs. This smoothing behavior comes at the expense of higher labor volatility, and it is stronger for firms with high R&D intensity and low market power. Firm-level data support these predictions. Dynamic panel estimations reveal that employment at competitive firms engaging in a high level of R&D is more procyclical.

Suggested Citation

  • Uluc Aysun & Melanie Guldi & Adam Honig & Zeynep Yom, 2020. "R&D, Market Power and the Cyclicality of Employment," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 47, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:vil:papers:47
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D; employment volatility; firm-level data; COMPUSTAT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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