Firms entry, oligopolistic competition and labor market dynamics

Using U.S. quarterly data we provide VAR evidence showing that a positive productivity shock leads to a persistent decrease in the unemployment rate and in the price markup, together with an increase in aggregate profits. In response to the shock the labor share of income decreases on impact and overshoots its long run trend before reverting to equilibrium. To address these facts, we propose a model where Cournot competition and firms’ entry in the goods market interact with search and matching frictions in the labor market. The price markup countercyclicality delivered by our model is a key factor to jointly account for the empirical facts we documented.
 
Keywords: Firms’ Entry, Oligopolistic competition, Unemployment.
JEL classifications: L11, E32.

Working paper no. 465