Overview
Matthias Kehrig works on topics at the intersection of macroeconomics, productivity, firm dynamics and labor economics. His particular research interest lies on how firm-level differences shape aggregate outcomes and how aggregate fluctuations in turn influence firm-level dynamics.
His most recent research project studies the micro-level anatomy of the aggregate labor share decline. Using micro-level business data from the U.S. Census Bureau, he finds that a set of few establishments become more and more profitable without expanding employment or sharing these productivity gains with workers as higher wages. Leading frontier firms derive their profitability from extracting higher prices from customers rather than cost cutting.
Matthias Kehrig is currently an Associate Professor at Duke University, a Faculty Research Fellow at the NBER and a Research Affiliate at the CEPR. He earned a PhD and MA in Economics from Northwestern University after graduating with a dual MA in Economics and CEMS Master in International Management from the University of Cologne and the Stockholm School of Economics.
You can find my professional profiles here: Personal website, Google Scholar, SSRN, IDEAS/RePEc .
Let's talk on Twitter: @MacroMatthias.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
The micro-level anatomy of the labor share decline
Scholarly Edition · May 1, 2021 The labor share in U.S. manufacturing declined from 61% in 1967 to 41% in 2012. The labor share of the typical U.S. manufacturing establishment, in contrast, rose by over 3 percentage points during the same period. Using micro-level data, we document five ... Full text CiteGood Dispersion, Bad Dispersion
Journal Article · June 2019 Open Access CiteGood Dispersion, Bad Dispersion
Journal Article · June 2019 CiteRecent Grants
Laboring for Less? Understanding the Micro-Level Anatomy of the Aggregate Labor Share Decline
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2018 - 2022View All Grants