Age Structure of the Workforce and Firm Performance

20 Pages Posted: 7 Nov 2005

See all articles by Christian Grund

Christian Grund

IZA Institute of Labor Economics; RWTH Aachen University - School of Economics and Business Administration

Niels Westergaard-Nielsen

Copenhagen Business School; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Date Written: October 2005

Abstract

In this contribution, we examine the interrelation between corporate age structures and firm performance. In particular, we address the issues, whether firms with young rather than older employees are successful and whether firms with homogeneous or heterogeneous workforces are doing well. Several theoretical approaches are discussed with respect to these questions and divergent hypotheses are derived. Using Danish linked employer-employee data, we find that both mean age and dispersion of age in firms are inversely u-shaped related to firm performance.

Keywords: firm performance, corporate age structures, demographic change

JEL Classification: M54, J21, L25

Suggested Citation

Grund, Christian and Grund, Christian and Westergaard-Nielsen, Niels, Age Structure of the Workforce and Firm Performance (October 2005). IZA Discussion Paper No. 1816, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=840750 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.840750

Christian Grund (Contact Author)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

RWTH Aachen University - School of Economics and Business Administration ( email )

Aachen
Germany

Niels Westergaard-Nielsen

Copenhagen Business School ( email )

Solbjerg Plads 3
Frederiksberg C, DK - 2000
Denmark

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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