Incomplete Markets, Labor Supply and Capital Accumulation

Endogenous labor supply decisions are introduced in an equilibrium model of limited insurance against idiosyncratic shocks. Unlike in the standard case with exogenous labor (e.g. [Aiyagari, S.R., 1994. Uninsured idiosyncratic risk and aggregate saving. Quarterly Journal of Economics 109, 659–684; Huggett, M., 1997. The one-sector growth model with idiosyncratic shocks: steady states and dynamics. Journal of Monetary Economics 39, 385–403]), labor supply is likely to be lower than under complete markets. This is due to an ex post wealth effect on labor supply (rich productive agents work fewer hours) that runs counter the precautionary savings motive. As a result, equilibrium savings and output may be lower under incomplete markets. It is also found that long-run savings remain finite even when the interest rate equals the inverse of the discount factor

Incomplete markets, labor supply and capital accumulation

Endogenous labor supply decisions are introduced in an equilibrium model of limited insurance against idiosyncratic shocks. Unlike in the standard case with exogenous labor (e.g. [Aiyagari, S.R., 1994. Uninsured idiosyncratic risk and aggregate saving. Quarterly Journal of Economics 109, 659-684; Huggett, M., 1997. The one-sector growth model with idiosyncratic shocks: steady states and dynamics. Journal of Monetary Economics 39, 385-403]), labor supply is likely to be lower than under complete markets. This is due to an ex post wealth effect on labor supply (rich productive agents work fewer hours) that runs counter the precautionary savings motive. As a result, equilibrium savings and output may be lower under incomplete markets. It is also found that long-run savings remain finite even when the interest rate equals the inverse of the discount factor. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.A. Marcet acknowledges support from CREI, DGES (Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology) and DURSI (Generalitat de Catalunya). F. Obiols-Homs acknowledges financial support from the European Commission through the TMR Programme (Contract ERBFMBICT 961835), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and FEDER through Grant SEC2003-00306, and Grant 2005SGR00447, and the support of CIE-ITAM, to which he was affiliated during early phases of this project. Marcet and Obiols-Homs acknowledge support from the Barcelona Economics program of CREA.Peer Reviewe