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Research ArticleResearch Article
Open Access

Labor Monopsony and the Limits of the Law

Suresh Naidu and Eric A. Posner
Published online before print June 09, 2021, 0219-10030R1; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.monopsony.0219-10030R1
Suresh Naidu
iColumbia University and University of Chicago.
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Eric A. Posner
iColumbia University and University of Chicago.
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Abstract

Recent literature has suggested that antitrust regulation is an appropriate response to labor market monopsony. This article qualifies the primacy of antitrust by arguing that a significant degree of labor market power is “frictional,” that is, without artificial barriers to entry or excessive concentration of employment. If monopsony is pervasive under conditions of laissez-faire, antitrust is likely to play only a partial role in remedying it, and other legal and policy instruments to intervene in the labor market will be required.

This open access article is distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) and is freely available online at: http://jhr.uwpress.org.

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Journal of Human Resources: 60 (6)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 6
1 Nov 2025
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Labor Monopsony and the Limits of the Law
Suresh Naidu, Eric A. Posner
Journal of Human Resources Jun 2021, 0219-10030R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.monopsony.0219-10030R1

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Labor Monopsony and the Limits of the Law
Suresh Naidu, Eric A. Posner
Journal of Human Resources Jun 2021, 0219-10030R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.monopsony.0219-10030R1
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