Working Paper: NBER ID: w29697
Authors: Niklas Engbom; Christian Moser; Jan Sauermann
Abstract: We study the nature of firm pay dynamics. To this end, we propose a statistical model that extends the seminal framework by Abowd, Kramarz and Margolis (1999) to allow for idiosyncratically time-varying firm pay policies. We estimate the model using linked employer-employee data for Sweden from 1985 to 2016. By drawing on detailed firm financials data, we show that firms that become more productive and accumulate capital raise pay, whereas firms lower pay as they add workers. A secular increase in firm-year pay dispersion in Sweden since 1985 is accounted for by greater persistence of firm pay among incumbent firms as well as greater dispersion in firm pay among entrant firms, as opposed to more volatile firm pay.
Keywords: Firm Pay; Earnings Inequality; Labor Market Dynamics
JEL Codes: D22; D31; E24; J31; M13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| productivity (O49) | firm pay (G32) |
| employment (J68) | firm pay (G32) |
| firm-year fixed effects (C23) | earnings variance (J31) |
| time-varying pay (J33) | earnings inequality (D31) |
| firm fundamentals (G32) | firm pay dynamics (L10) |