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Employer Concentration and Labor Force Participation

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Working Paper Number: CES-22-08

Abstract

This paper examines the association between employer concentration and labor outcomes (labor force participation and employment). It uses restricted data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) to estimate, at the county level, to what extent more concentrated labor markets have lower labor force participation rates and lower employment. The analysis also examines whether unionization rates and education levels mediate these associations.

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