Beyond the Boundaries: Firm-to-Firm Connections in a Frictional Labor Market by Oskar Nordström Skans

Join us for the latest Applied Economics Research Seminar Series event, Autumn Term 2023.

Oskar Nordström Skans, from the Department of Economics, Uppsala University, will present this seminar on Beyond the Boundaries: Firm-to-Firm Connections in a Frictional Labor Market.

Abstract

We explore how firm-to-firm connections can mitigate the consequences of labor market frictions by allowing firms to tap into a broader pool of workers. Using comprehensive data from all Swedish firms, each having a board of directors, we identify connections based on shared directorships or family ties between directors in different firms. Our findings show that a majority of firms have such connections. Worker mobility significantly increases between connected firms after these links are established. This mobility appears to benefit both the origin and destination firms. Sickness absence events cause replacement workers to transition between connected firms, helping to offset the allocative inefficiencies that, otherwise, arise in small firms when individual workers are absent.

The seminar will begin with a presentation and will end with a Q and A session.

It will be held in the Economics Common Room at 2pm on Thursday 12th October. This event is open to all levels of study and is also open to the public. To register your place and gain access to the webinar, please contact the seminar organisers.

This event is part of the Applied Economics Research Seminar Series.