Within-industry productivity dispersion is pervasive and exhibits substantial variation across countries, industries, and time. We build on prior research that explores the hypothesis that periods of innovation are initially associated with a surge in business start-ups, followed by increased experimentation that leads to rising dispersion potentially with declining aggregate productivity growth, and then a shakeout process that results in higher productivity growth and declining productivity dispersion. Using novel detailed industry-level data on total factor productivity and labor productivity dispersion from the Dispersion Statistics on Productivity along with novel measures of entry rates from the Business Dynamics Statistics and productivity growth data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. manufacturing industries, we find support for this hypothesis, especially for the high-tech industries.

Others in Series

Working Paper

Comparing Earnings Outcome Differences Between All Graduates and Title IV Graduates

August 2021

Author ANDREW FOOTE

Working Paper Number CES-21-19

This paper shows how the differences in the frames for PSEO and College Scorecard explains differences in estimates, especially for mid-career earnings.

Working Paper

Leapfrogging the Melting Pot? European Immigrants’ Intergenerational Mobility Across the 20th Century

August 2021

Author KENDAL LOWREY, JENNIFER VAN HOOK, JAMES D. BACHMEIER, AND THOMAS B. FOSTER

Working Paper Number CES-21-20

This paper details educational attainment among early 20th century European immigrants and their U.S.-born counterparts across three linked family generations.

Working Paper

How Collateral Affects Small Business Lending: The Role of Lender Specialization

August 2021

Author MANASA GOPAL

Working Paper Number CES-21-22

Lenders specialize in collateral and adjust their portfolio following a shock towards specialized collateral, impacting firm credit access and employment

Related Information

Center for Economic Studies (CES) Working Paper Series

PUBLICATION

Discussion Paper Series

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021

Some content on this site is available in several different electronic formats. Some of the files may require a plug-in or additional software to view.

The content on this page includes a link to a non-government website. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.

Is this page helpful?
Thumbs Up Image

Yes

NO THANKS

255 characters maximum

255 characters maximum reached

Thank you for your feedback.
Comments or suggestions?

Top