Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis

This paper examines productivity growth in Romania using balance sheet data for a census of Romanian firms in 2011-17. Three measures of productivity are estimated: labor productivity, revenue total factor productivity, and revenue total factor pro...

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Main Authors: Iootty, Mariana, Pena, Jorge, De Rosa, Donato
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/751111571151886548/Productivity-Growth-in-Romania-A-Firm-Level-Analysis
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32588
id okr-10986-32588
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-325882022-09-20T00:14:06Z Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis Iootty, Mariana Pena, Jorge De Rosa, Donato PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY FIRM PRODUCTIVITY MARKET LEADER COMPETITION This paper examines productivity growth in Romania using balance sheet data for a census of Romanian firms in 2011-17. Three measures of productivity are estimated: labor productivity, revenue total factor productivity, and revenue total factor productivity adjusted for markups. Drawing from these measures, the paper follows a two-step approach to answer two fundamental questions: (i) who are the firms -- and what are their key characteristics -- driving and dragging productivity growth in Romania? and (ii) what are the drivers behind productivity expansion? A first step of the analysis characterizes productivity leaders and laggards, finding that companies at the domestic productivity frontier are older and larger, have higher capital intensity, and pay higher wages. Domestic market leaders charge higher markups, especially in manufacturing, but are not becoming more efficient. A second step of the analysis decomposes aggregate productivity growth and finds that reallocation of market shares to more efficient players has been the main driver in manufacturing but not in services, which are typically more sheltered from competition. At the same time, individual firms are becoming less productive, suggesting that there is scope to improve firm capabilities, particularly in services. These findings suggest a policy agenda for Romania centered on removing distortions to competition and boosting human capital. 2019-10-18T19:46:30Z 2019-10-18T19:46:30Z 2019-10 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/751111571151886548/Productivity-Growth-in-Romania-A-Firm-Level-Analysis http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32588 English Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9043 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Europe and Central Asia Romania
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
FIRM PRODUCTIVITY
MARKET LEADER
COMPETITION
spellingShingle PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
FIRM PRODUCTIVITY
MARKET LEADER
COMPETITION
Iootty, Mariana
Pena, Jorge
De Rosa, Donato
Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
geographic_facet Europe and Central Asia
Romania
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9043
description This paper examines productivity growth in Romania using balance sheet data for a census of Romanian firms in 2011-17. Three measures of productivity are estimated: labor productivity, revenue total factor productivity, and revenue total factor productivity adjusted for markups. Drawing from these measures, the paper follows a two-step approach to answer two fundamental questions: (i) who are the firms -- and what are their key characteristics -- driving and dragging productivity growth in Romania? and (ii) what are the drivers behind productivity expansion? A first step of the analysis characterizes productivity leaders and laggards, finding that companies at the domestic productivity frontier are older and larger, have higher capital intensity, and pay higher wages. Domestic market leaders charge higher markups, especially in manufacturing, but are not becoming more efficient. A second step of the analysis decomposes aggregate productivity growth and finds that reallocation of market shares to more efficient players has been the main driver in manufacturing but not in services, which are typically more sheltered from competition. At the same time, individual firms are becoming less productive, suggesting that there is scope to improve firm capabilities, particularly in services. These findings suggest a policy agenda for Romania centered on removing distortions to competition and boosting human capital.
format Working Paper
author Iootty, Mariana
Pena, Jorge
De Rosa, Donato
author_facet Iootty, Mariana
Pena, Jorge
De Rosa, Donato
author_sort Iootty, Mariana
title Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
title_short Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
title_full Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
title_fullStr Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Productivity Growth in Romania : A Firm-Level Analysis
title_sort productivity growth in romania : a firm-level analysis
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2019
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/751111571151886548/Productivity-Growth-in-Romania-A-Firm-Level-Analysis
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32588
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