Product Market Deregulation and Growth

Product Market Deregulation and Growth
Author: Romain Bouis
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 26
Release: 2016-09-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475540639

The paper investigates the economic effects of major product market reforms in some of the historically most protected non-manufacturing industries. It relies on a unique mapping between new annual data on reform shocks and sector-level outcomes for five network industries (electricity and gas, land transport, air transport, postal services, and telecommunications) in twenty-six countries spanning over three decades. The use of a threedimensional panel and careful instrumentation of reform shocks using external instruments enables us to control for economy-wide macroeconomic shocks and address possible sources of omitted variable bias more broadly. Using a local projection method, we find that major reductions in barriers to entry yield large increases in output and labor productivity over a five-year horizon, concomitant with a relative price decline. By contrast, there is only a weak positive effect on sectoral employment, and investment is essentially unaffected, suggesting that output gains from reform primarily reflect higher total factor productivity. It takes some time for these gains to materialize: effects become statistically significant two to three years after the reform, as prices start dropping, and productivity and output increase significantly. However, there is no evidence of any negative short-term cost from reform, including under weak macroeconomic conditions. These findings provide a clear case for intensifying product market reform efforts in advanced economies at the current juncture of weak growth.

Product Market Deregulation and Growth

Product Market Deregulation and Growth
Author: Romain Bouis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 27
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN:

The paper investigates the economic effects of major product market reforms in some of the historically most protected non-manufacturing industries. It relies on a unique mapping between new annual data on reform shocks and sector-level outcomes for five network industries (electricity and gas, land transport, air transport, postal services, and telecommunications) in twenty-six countries spanning over three decades. The use of a three dimensional panel and careful instrumentation of reform shocks using external instruments enables us to control for economy-wide macroeconomic shocks and address possible sourcesof omitted variable bias more broadly. Using a local projection method, we find that major reductions in barriers to entry yield large increases in output and labor productivity over a five-year horizon, concomitant with a relative price decline. By contrast, there is only a weak positive effect on sectoral employment, and investment is essentially unaffected, suggesting that output gains from reform primarily reflect higher total factor productivity. It takes sometime for these gains to materialize: effects become statistically significant two to three years after the reform, as prices start dropping, and productivity and output increase significantly.However, there is no evidence of any negative short-term cost from reform, including underweak macroeconomic conditions. These findings provide a clear case for intensifying product market reform efforts in advanced economies at the current juncture of weak growth.

Product Markets' Deregulation: a More Productive, More Efficient and More Resilient Economy?

Product Markets' Deregulation: a More Productive, More Efficient and More Resilient Economy?
Author: Gustavo Monteiro
Publisher:
Total Pages: 27
Release: 2017
Genre: Economics
ISBN:

Abstract: This paper assesses the impact of product market deregulation in upstream sectors on the productivity growth of firms in downstream sectors (i.e. those firms using the output of the reformed sectors as inputs in their production process). Relying on a firm level database for the period 2004-2014 covering all Portuguese firms, we show that reforms bring productivity gains already in the short-run and that are sustained in the long-run. The effects are more positive for those further away from the technological frontier and are also heterogeneous across sectors. In addition, reforms potentiate the exit of the least productive firms, improving the resource allocation in the economy by a process of selection - for the least productive, only those that have scope to catch-up with the frontier are able to remain. Finally, we show that the adoption of product market reforms in upstream sectors leads to a more resilient economy, better equipped to face adverse shocks

Labor and Product Market Deregulation: Partial, Sequential, or Simultaneous Reform?

Labor and Product Market Deregulation: Partial, Sequential, or Simultaneous Reform?
Author: Helge Berger
Publisher: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2005-12-01
Genre: Credit
ISBN: 9781451862461

This study explores the effects of labor and product market deregulation on employment growth. Our empirical results, based on an OECD country panel from 1990-2004, suggest that lower levels of product and labor market regulation foster employment growth, including through sizable interaction effects. Based on these findings, the paper develops a theoretical framework for evaluating deregulation strategies in the presence of reform costs. Optimal deregulation takes various forms depending on the deregulation costs, the strength of reform interactions, and the perspective of the policymaker. Unless deregulation costs are very asymmetric across markets, optimal deregulation requires some form of coordination.

Product Market Regulation and Macroeconomic Performance

Product Market Regulation and Macroeconomic Performance
Author: Fabio Schiantarelli
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 46
Release: 2005
Genre: Competition
ISBN:

"The main purpose of this paper is to provide a critical overview of the recent empirical contributions that use cross-country data to study the effects of product market regulation and reform on a country's macroeconomic performance. After a brief review of the theoretical literature and of relevant micro-econometric evidence, the paper discusses the main data and methodological issues related to empirical work on this topic. It then critically evaluates the cross-country evidence on the effects of product market regulation on mark-ups, firm dynamics, investment, employment, innovation, productivity, and output growth. The paper concludes with a summary of lessons learned from the econometric results." -- Cover verso.

The Short-Term Impact of Product Market Reforms

The Short-Term Impact of Product Market Reforms
Author: Peter N. Gal
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 71
Release: 2016-06-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475516851

This paper analyzes the effects of product market reforms in the short and medium term across 10 regulated industries and 18 advanced economies for the period 1998-2013 using internationally comparable firm-level data based on Orbis. It provides four key insights. First, product market reforms have positive effects on capital, output and employment and their effects increase over time. After two years, they raise capital by 4%, output by 3% and employment by 1.5%. Second, differences in production technology and the nature of product market regulations across sectors generate important differences in the mechanisms through which reforms operate. In network industries, reforms tend to benefit small firms, while the opposite is observed in retail trade. Product market reforms also promote firm entry, particularly those that reduce entry barriers. Third, credit constraints can play an important role in weakening the positive impact of product market reform on investment. Fourth, product market reforms also tend to have positive effects on firms in downstream sectors—both at home and abroad—that make intensive use of intermediate inputs from deregulated sectors.

The Impact of Product Market Reforms on Firm Productivity in Italy

The Impact of Product Market Reforms on Firm Productivity in Italy
Author: Mr.Sergi Lanau
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 25
Release: 2016-06-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475524927

This paper examines the role of removing obstacles to competition in product markets in raising growth and productivity. Using firm-level data from Italy during 2003–13 and OECD measures of product market regulation, we estimate the effect of deregulation in network sectors on value added and productivity of firms in these sectors, as well as firms using these intermediates in their production processes. We find evidence of a significant positive impact. These effects are more pronounced in Italian provinces with more efficient public administration, underscoring the complementarities of advancing public administration and product market reforms simultaneously.

Interneteconomics.net

Interneteconomics.net
Author: Paul J.J. Welfens
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2002-04-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9783540433378

Deregulation, privatization and internationalization of the telecommunications industry has brought about enormous changes within both the European and world economy. The dynamics of the Internet and the recent wave of innovations in the telecommunications and computer industry have given rise to new opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and growth. No doubt, the dynamics and imperfections of today`s information markets raise crucial challenges for Western Europe. The changing patterns of innovation in the digital economy have forced governments to consider new strategies to promote innovation, network effects and growth. In response to these developments this text presents new approaches to macroeconomic modelling, growth theory and trade analysis. Still further, the deregulation policies of OECD-countries are analyzed. An indispensible text for academics and professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of how the New Economy revolution continues to change the economy.