Essays on production function estimation

This first chapter develops a new method for estimating production functions with factor-augmenting technology and assesses its economic implications. The method does not impose parametric restrictions and generalizes prior approaches that rely on the CES production function. I first extend the canonical Olley-Pakes framework to accommodate factor-augmenting technology. Then, I show how to identify output elasticities based on a novel control variable approach and the optimality of input expenditures. I use this method to estimate output elasticities and markups in manufacturing industries in the US and four developing countries. Neglecting labor-augmenting productivity and imposing parametric restrictions mismeasures output elasticities and heterogeneity in the production function. My estimates suggest that standard models (i) underestimate capital elasticity by up to 70 percent (ii) overestimate labor elasticity by up to 80 percent.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Demirer, Mert.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nikhil Agarwal and Daron Acemoglu.

• Economics.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/127028

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/127028