Leveraged buyouts, private equity and jobs

Using a unique data set of 533 leveraged buyouts (LBOs) observed over the 1993–2004 period, covering all size ranges, the study conducts a systematic analysis to determine and quantify: (1) the effect of private equity (PE) and LBO governance on employment and (2) whether the size of the target firm impacts on post-buyout employment effects. After accounting for endogeneity, we find that LBOs, whether PE financed or not, do not have significantly different employment levels compared with a control sample of firms. Additionally, there are no employment effects contingent on the size of the target firm. The findings contrast with anecdotal claims of job destruction. The study therefore makes an important contribution to the debate on the impact of LBOs and PE.

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