Sterk, V;
Sedlacek, P;
Pugsley, BW;
(2021)
The Nature of Firm Growth.
The American Economic Review
, 111
(2)
pp. 547-579.
10.1257/aer.20190748.
Preview |
Text
Sterk_aer.20190748.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
About one-half of all startups fail within five years, and those that survive grow at vastly different speeds. Using Census microdata, we estimate that most of these differences are determined by ex ante heterogeneity rather than persistent ex post shocks. Embedding such heterogeneity in a firm dynamics model shows that the presence of ex ante heterogeneity (i) is a key determinant of the firm size distribution and firm dynamics, (ii) can strongly affect the macroeconomic effects of firm-level frictions, and (iii) helps understand the recently documented decline in business dynamism by showing a disappearance of high-growth startups ("gazelles") since the mid-1980s.
Type: | Article |
---|---|
Title: | The Nature of Firm Growth |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1257/aer.20190748 |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20190748 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Dept of Economics |
URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10109806 |
Archive Staff Only
View Item |