Does Entry Regulation Hinder Job Creation? Evidence from the French Retail Industry

58 Pages Posted: 20 Nov 2001

See all articles by Marianne Bertrand

Marianne Bertrand

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Francis Kramarz

National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) - National School for Statistical and Economic Administration (ENSAE); National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) - Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST)

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Date Written: November 2001

Abstract

Are product market and entry regulation key sources of low employment growth in many European countries? We investigate this question in the context of the French retail industry. Since 1974, approval by regional zoning boards has been required for the creation or extension of any large retail store in France. We exploit a unique database that provides time and region specific variation in boards' approval decisions. We show that stronger deterrence of entry by the boards, and the increase in large retail chains' concentration it induced, slowed down employment growth in France.

Keywords: Zoning regulation, employment, retail trade

JEL Classification: J23, L43, L81

Suggested Citation

Bertrand, Marianne and Kramarz, Francis, Does Entry Regulation Hinder Job Creation? Evidence from the French Retail Industry (November 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=291559

Marianne Bertrand (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
773-834-5943 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://gsbwww.uchicago.edu/fac/marianne.bertrand/vita/cv_0604.pdf

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-588-0341 (Phone)
617-876-2742 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Francis Kramarz

National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) - National School for Statistical and Economic Administration (ENSAE) ( email )

92245 Malakoff Cedex
France

National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) - Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST)

15 Boulevard Gabriel Peri
Malakoff Cedex, 1 92245
France

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